What Is Going On In Monroe County?

[pegasusrider]

Is Fitzpatrick a trouble maker or a patriot and is he really falsely accused and imprisoned?

Are the politics in Monroe County as dirty as he has said?

The Post & Email|News

[Guest Swamprunner]

Well, I think that Fitzpatrick is sort of a moonbat, having injected himself into a situation that was volatile to begin with. That being said, Monroe County is not the kind of place you go screwing around with the law. There are a number of unsolved shenanigans going on at the moment in this county, and I stay the hell away. I still have many close friends in the county, and what is going on now has been going on for years.

[leroy]

All:____________

What exactly did Ftizpatrick do and what is he charged with?

Leroy

[gregintenn]

Where the h3ll's Monroe county?

[leroy]

Where the h3ll's Monroe county?

Here:

North of Polk county and south of Loudoun county right up against the mountains.

Leroy

[Murgatroy]

Sweetwater, Madisonville, Vonore and Tellico Plains.

It is a step back in time. In more ways than one.

Is it corrupt?

Well... I have no opinion on the matter, other than to say that I have seen things that don't add up. Never did. I never asked either.

For the record, I grew up in Tellico Plains, spent a lot of time all over the county. I moved away at 21, and haven't been back but a handful of times in the many years since.

Beautiful place, I just didn't care for a lot of the goings ons.

[Garufa]

Where the h3ll's Monroe county?

I reckon it's a place you don't want to screw with the locals. About half of it is national forest land. There's all kinds of places for assorted mischief.

[Murgatroy]

I reckon it's a place you don't want to screw with the locals. About half of it is national forest land. There's all kinds of places for assorted mischief.

In a nutshell.

Most of the folks I grew up with are either dead or in prison.

[gregintenn]

I have been to Sweetwater. Didn't realize what county I was in. Beautiful place.

[Guest BEARMAN]

Been there bear/deer hunting in the Cherokee National forest...everybody I've met there seemed very friendly to me.

However...I was just passing thru...if you know what I mean.

[pegasusrider]

All:____________

What exactly did Ftizpatrick do and what is he charged with?

Leroy

From a what I have read, he tried to get a Monroe County grand jury to hear his evidence that Obama was usurping the office of President of the US. He was refused. Then he discovered the grand jury foreman had been serving in that capacity for over 20 years with no break in service. He claims that is a violation of TN state law. No law enforcement agency would do anything about it so he took it upon himself to attempt a citizen's arrest of the grand jury foreman in the courthouse. He was charged with interrupting a grand jury and inciting a riot. It seems to me that the more dirt he digs up on these people, the more determined they have become to put him away.

I was curious if anyone from Monroe County would respond and shed some light on this. I know from previous experience several years ago when I had jury duty in my county the criminal court judge was very proud to tell all the jurors on our orientation day his grand jury foreman had been serving in that position for him for 13 years.

[Murgatroy]

It is my understanding that the Grand Jury Foreman, who doesn't sit on the 12 man jury is an appointed position, and as such is not limited to a term. It is also my understanding that LCDR Fitzpatrick had been informed of this.

I think the most damning evidence against him is that one of his accomplices made a statement along the lines of 'we are going to go in and take over the courthouse with force and make them do what we want,' paraphrasing of course.

Again, I haven't lived in Monroe County in a very long time, but most of my family is still there and I visit from time to time.

[leroy]

Thanks Pegasus! I relember this now. Monroe county is a pretty rustic place (....which aint necessarily a bad thing...). My guess is that

LtCmdr. Fitzpatrick is an outsider. In some places, that's a recipe for harsh treatment if you poke the natives with a big enough stick.

Ya gotta admire the style; but the choice of location may have been bad. LtCmdr. Fitzpatrick may get a sound thrashing (...legal and physical...) down in Monroe County if he has no kinfolk there.

Thanks again.

Leroy

Edited November 4, 2010 by leroy
formatting!!!

[-boatman-]

I have been to Sweetwater and one of my boats was built there. You sure would not know that the county is like that just by going into that town. It seems to be a nice area otherwise.

[Murgatroy]

I have been to Sweetwater and one of my boats was built there. You sure would not know that the county is like that just by going into that town. It seems to be a nice area otherwise.

No one ever really cared for Sweetwater, it was too far out to be considered in the same place as Vonore, Madisonville, Tellico or even Coker Creek. Now that is a good step back in time there.

[pegasusrider]

It is my understanding that the Grand Jury Foreman, who doesn't sit on the 12 man jury is an appointed position, and as such is not limited to a term. It is also my understanding that LCDR Fitzpatrick had been informed of this.

I did a bit of research and thats's not what the TCA says. Before a juror can be recalled for another term, the time between service is set at a minimum of 2 years. Somewhere else it sets a maximum limit of 2 years of service. And the TCA also says the grand and petit juries are supposed to be selected by the same type of random selection.

22-2-314. Limitation on jury service. — [Effective in Certain Counties. See the Compiler’s Notes.]

A juror who has completed a jury service term shall not be summoned to serve another jury service term in any court of this state for a period of twenty-four (24) months following the last day of such service; however, the county legislative body of any county, may, by majority vote, extend the twenty-four-month period.

22-2-310. Impaneling jurors — Additional jurors. — [Effective in Certain Counties. See the Compiler’s Notes.]

(a) The members of the grand and petit juries shall be made up as provided by law from the jury pool. In the event the original jury pool does not include a sufficient number of jurors, courts shall follow the procedures in subsection ( for securing additional jurors. These additional names shall supplement, not replace, the original jury pool. These procedures shall be repeated, as necessary, until the grand and petit juries are completed.

( (1) Regardless of whether a county utilizes the automated or manual method of jury selection, additional names shall be selected for the special jury pool in the same manner this part provides for the selection of the original jury pool. Likewise, these members of the special jury pool shall be summoned in the manner specified in § 22-2-307.

They should have had more sense than to go down to the courthouse and threaten to take over the place.

[trblmkr13]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PlD29qyxQ8

[Murgatroy]

I did a bit of research and thats's not what the TCA says. Before a juror can be recalled for another term, the time between service is set at a minimum of 2 years. Somewhere else it sets a maximum limit of 2 years of service. And the TCA also says the grand and petit juries are supposed to be selected by the same type of random selection.

22-2-314. Limitation on jury service. — [Effective in Certain Counties. See the Compiler’s Notes.]

A juror who has completed a jury service term shall not be summoned to serve another jury service term in any court of this state for a period of twenty-four (24) months following the last day of such service; however, the county legislative body of any county, may, by majority vote, extend the twenty-four-month period.

22-2-310. Impaneling jurors — Additional jurors. — [Effective in Certain Counties. See the Compiler’s Notes.]

(a) The members of the grand and petit juries shall be made up as provided by law from the jury pool. In the event the original jury pool does not include a sufficient number of jurors, courts shall follow the procedures in subsection ( for securing additional jurors. These additional names shall supplement, not replace, the original jury pool. These procedures shall be repeated, as necessary, until the grand and petit juries are completed.

( (1) Regardless of whether a county utilizes the automated or manual method of jury selection, additional names shall be selected for the special jury pool in the same manner this part provides for the selection of the original jury pool. Likewise, these members of the special jury pool shall be summoned in the manner specified in § 22-2-307.

They should have had more sense than to go down to the courthouse and threaten to take over the place.

The above doesn't apply to the Foreman.

A check of Tennessee law later showed the same challenge had been made in 1983 and shot down by the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which ruled there are no term limits on a grand jury foreperson.

Also see here where the United States Grand Jury Institute has revealed that nothing wrong was committed and the judge was well within his rights to appoint the same foreman for longer than a two year period. However, they go on to point out that it is their opinion that the jury has been tainted. And it questions the legitimacy of the grand jury in Monroe County.

Edited November 4, 2010 by Murgatroy

[DaveTN]

I see a retired Navy Officer that obviously has mental health issues.

Sheriff Bivens and any other law enforcement officials involved in keeping this man in custody should be ashamed. I hope someone at the State or Federal level can step in and stop this.

This is sad.

[pegasusrider]

The above doesn't apply to the Foreman.

A check of Tennessee law later showed the same challenge had been made in 1983 and shot down by the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which ruled there are no term limits on a grand jury foreperson.

Also see here where the United States Grand Jury Institute has revealed that nothing wrong was committed and the judge was well within his rights to appoint the same foreman for longer than a two year period. However, they go on to point out that it is their opinion that the jury has been tainted. And it questions the legitimacy of the grand jury in Monroe County.

I also saw that reference made but the Legislature rewrote some of the code in 2009 and I can find no reference at Mitchie about appointing the grand jury foreman or the referenced section. I might have overlooked it or its in some obsuure place.