A final report from the Hamilton County Grand Jury stresses the importance of grand jury service.
DeAnna Anderson is the foreman.
Here is the report:
The Honorable Barry Steelman
Judge, Criminal Court, Division I
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Judge Steelman:
As I am now entering my sixth year as Foreperson, I would like to make the following observation.
With all the troubling things going on in our Country, even right here in our own community, I am amazed by each Grand Jury that passes through the system. With each group I find I am blessed to get thirteen citizens of this community that have a desire to do their civic duty and are simply good people.
This Grand Jury is made up of employees of, Unum, McKee Foods, Lawson Electric, Volkswagen, The Mueller Co., National Logistic Supply, Scenic City Medical Equipment and The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics and many who are in their retirement years. They have expressed the fact that they would encourage anyone who gets the chance to serve the courts in this manner, to do so.
Through the course of their term they heard 509 cases. They used the education they were given to make the proper decisions on these cases as it was outlined in the charge set before them on selection day.
They were charged with reporting on the Hamilton County Jail and Juvenile Detention and Courts.
Due to the fact that Grand Jurors see the same issues from one term to the next, and that fact is often reflected in the report, it has been my desire to change it up from time to time. With that in mind, I gave the challenge to some of my Jurors to write their own report. From those, I chose one that I felt best reflected the spirit and purpose of the Grand Jury. It is as follows:
Six months ago, I was lucky enough to receive my official summons from Judge Steelman for Grand Jury duty. I hate to admit it, but my initial response was, “Oh really?” I was not sure that it would fit into my busy schedule. That thought did not last long as I am a huge advocate of civic duty and the importance of volunteering for service. Showing up the first day was stressful, worrying about being on time, walking into the courthouse with all of us being there for different reasons, taking a seat in a huge room full of strangers, all the while, not realizing that a unique and rewarding experience was there for the taking.
Grand Jury duty has been life changing. Our randomly formed, “quirky” family of 13 began on May 4th. DeAnna Anderson, our much loved, creative and fearless leader, welcomed us with enthusiasm and has guided and protected us throughout the process. ADA Bill West, our experienced, fair, wise legal counsel, has advised us with unbiased integrity as we reviewed a variety of cases. Through the testimony of our cases we have felt a shared sadness for the victims AND respect for the judicial system, our law enforcement officers, and for one another's opinion. We have all grown closer as the weeks have passed. We shared weekend stories, snacks, recipes, downtown lunches, and health issues.
We have gained great respect for Court Liaison’s Sgt. Kevin Akin and Sgt. Jeff Rearden and all the officers and detectives who have taken the time to accurately and thoroughly testify and present the cases to our Grand Jury. I can safely say that a typical day in Grand Jury evokes sadness, shock, outrage, humor, anger, compassion, and fairness.
The tour of the County Jail was an eye opening experience. Many people may not realize that it is consistently at capacity and under funded. Our tour included an impressive explanation of the dietary plan and kitchen facilities by Mr. Jim Hughes, an extensive overview of safety and contraband by Captain Gene Coppinger, and a detailed description of the religious classes and services offered by Chaplain John Waters.
Chief Fowler shared his plans and vision for improving our current County Jail. We could clearly see the passion and knowledge he has for the job.
As a Grand Juror, my hope is that our County Commissioners will take the time and opportunity to tour the County jail prior to making a decision toward allocating funds for a new structure. I would also recommend that a County Advisory Board be established to engage our community in making our jail safer and ensuring that those who choose to work in that part of our society are properly compensated.
The tour of the Juvenile Detention and Courts was impressive. We were greeted and briefed by Court Director, Antinio Petty, a compassionate and enthusiastic advocate for our youth. He thoroughly covered details of the programs and procedures of the Courts. He passionately described the mission to rehabilitate and deter first time offenders in choosing a successful path toward adulthood.
Another employee who has a shared passion for the youth of Chattanooga, Assistant Superintendent Martin Harrelson, led us on a tour of the Detention facility. He took the time to explain the process and the structure of the daily schedule. We toured the dining area and the school where we met their dedicated teacher, Mr. William Weaver. He shared a wall of amazing artwork that had been created by his students over the years. His classroom is in great need of school desks that can be secured together or to the floor as this is a safety issue.
In closing, I would like to say that as the weeks have passed, every time I mention Grand Jury duty to my friends and co-workers, their responses are consistently: “can't you get out of that?” I am so thankful that I didn't! Grand Jury duty has been an honor and a blessing! If you are ever summoned, please do whatever it takes to make the sacrifice in order to say “yes!” Our amazing community will benefit and you will be better for it!
A FINAL THOUGHT
Grand Jurors begin their service with varying degrees of respect for Law Enforcement, readily admitting they don't realize the job they do and often times, taking it for granted.
They quickly learn that officers work long hours that include nights, weekends and Holidays. They often hear in testimony that officers are subject to verbal abuse and physical altercations on a regular basis. They learn that an officer often has to come in on their day off or after working all night to testify before the Grand Jury. They are educated in the fact that when a weapon is pulled on an officer they have a split second to make a decision that will most likely result in the crucifixion of their character if a life is lost.
On July 16, they did what they are trained to do in an active shooter situation. This Grand Jury would like to say how GRATEFUL they are for the exceptional job they did on that day in controlling the situation, which in turn saved many lives all the while putting their own at risk.
We must NEVER forget the lives of our military that were taken on that day and we must also NEVER forget what officers of our hometown did on that day, as they do every day, which is to PROTECT AND SERVE!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank the following people:
· Criminal Court Judges Barry Steelman and Don Poole as well as, Sessions Court Judge Christy Sell for taking time out of their schedule to educate us on the Courts system.
· Assistant D.A. Bill West for his legal assistance; his guidance in the rules of law was imperative to our decision making.
· Court Liaison's SGT. Kevin Akin and SGT. Jeff Rearden of the Chattanooga Police Department, for getting our witnesses in, as well as testifying on CPD Officers' cases in order to expedite the process and save on resources.
· Don Keasing for keeping our witnesses organized.
· Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Hardin for escorting us to our facility tours.
· Larry Henry and staff of the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office; along with Assistant Jury Coordinator Margo McConnell and Aaliyah Hakeem of the Criminal Court Clerk's office . We appreciate everything they do for us.
· The administration and staff who conducted our tours through Silverdale, the County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center.
· Investigators' Lee Wolff and Vernon Kimbrough for the education they gave us on drugs and other illegal activities that go on in our community. We were given a great deal of information and appreciate the time taken to speak with us.
· Captain Gene Coppinger and Sgt. Robert Harvey for the interesting class on contraband and safety in the County jail.
· Jim Hughes and his staff for the delicious lunch served to us in the County Jail.
· Brooke Womack for doing an awesome job as official note taker.
· Our dedicated Permanent On Call Alternates, Lana Sauceman and Barbara Floyd.