Rutherford county juvenile court judge

Rutherford County is suing its insurance provider for refusing to cover its settlement in a large class action lawsuit over its unlawful policies for arresting and detaining children. The county was sued over its juvenile court polices, which led to more than a thousand children being illegally arrested and jailed.

A bill seeks to regulate the arrests of juveniles after former Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport, in green judicial robes, came under fire in for the detention of more than a thousand children. Photo: RutherfordCountyTN. Mike Sparks is pushing legislation he believes would have stopped the aggressive lockup of children. Sparks, a Smyrna Republican, is preparing legislation prohibiting interviews or interrogations of children without the presence of legal counsel, parent, guardian or custodian. In addition, children would be told of their constitutional rights to legal representation when taken into custody, and a video recording of any interviews would be made. Whether such legislation would have prevented the lawsuit is difficult to predict because the policy that led to arrests had been in effect since But it might have lessened the impact.

Rutherford county juvenile court judge

Tennessee lawmakers want to oust the Rutherford County judge tied to the area's decades-long history of illegally arresting and jailing children. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Rep. Davenport has been at the center of a national controversy over the way the county handled minor — if not made-up — juvenile charges. Campbell and Johnson were joined by fellow Democrats at a news conference Monday morning including Sen. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville. Davenport is up for reelection this year. She was elected in to the seat, the first and so far, only judge to hold the office. The case is related to other lawsuits that followed the illegal arrests and jailing of children in at Hobgood Elementary and other locations in Murfreesboro following an off-campus fight and bullying incident on neighborhood yards. I would question that title that she has," Gilmore said. Placing children, especially six-year-olds in handcuffs, is never the way to reform juveniles. In , U. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw ordered a halt to illegal incarceration of children, focusing on Davenport and Juvenile Detention Center Director Lynn Duke in response to the Hobgood case.

The final results on Election night will be official after the Rutherford County Election Commission meets at 5 p. He wants to establish a family preservation court, which would connect people to support systems like substance abuse programs.

For two decades, Judge Donna Scott Davenport oversaw the illegal arrests and detentions of more than a thousand children in her Rutherford County courtroom. Her actions eventually caught up with her — the county settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit, and an investigation by WPLN News and ProPublica brought to light what had been happening for years, unchecked. Lawmakers called for her ousting, the governor asked for a review and Middle Tennessee State University cut ties with the judge. There were nationwide calls for reform. Almost Nothing Happened to the Adults in Charge. As pressure mounted Davenport announced her retirement as juvenile court judge one afternoon in January, leaving the community to pick a new judge to fill her seat. In a recent WGNS radio forum , he was asked how he would rebuild trust.

Whenever children are charged with violating criminal statutes, it is the duty of the Court to provide a simple judicial procedure which assures the juvenile a fair hearing and due process, while protecting the constitutional and legal rights of all parties. Additionally, we strive to accomplish the following goals: to provide for the wholesome moral, mental, and physical development of children; to substitute treatment, training, and rehabilitation for the consequences of criminal behavior by children; and to remove children from the custody of their parents only when absolutely necessary for the child's welfare or in the interest of public safety. We always seek to ensure that our community is safe, and that violent or dangerous juveniles are held in detention if no other, less-restrictive alternatives exist. Our Court offers programs and services which provide troubled youths with the necessary skills they lack in order to be successful in life. Many times, we are the last line of defense for a family that is desperate for a bridge to fill the gap between the child's delinquent behavior and the possibility of learning new and positive behaviors.

Rutherford county juvenile court judge

Lampley later began practicing law in Murfreesboro, TN with a focus on family law. He served as Disciplinary Counsel for the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee where he was responsible for ethical complaints against licensed attorneys in Tennessee. Lampley completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Lampley is actively involved in his community. He was most recently Past Chair of the Murfreesboro City Schools Foundation and enjoys participating in local philanthropic events. He is an active participant and presenter in the local chapter of the Andrew Jackson American Inns of Court. Search Search. Juvenile Court Judiciary Due to the large caseload in Juvenile Court, one Judge cannot hear every case that is brought before the Court. Accordingly, Tennessee law provides that the Judge may appoint one or more Magistrates to preside over cases. In conducting the proceedings, Magistrates have the same powers as Judges.

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The court wrote that the "illegal detention" is causing "irreparable harm every day" to children in the jurisdiction. The Rutherford County Commission was assembling a new Juvenile Detention Board to "oversee incarceration operations", effectively replacing Davenport and her successors as oversight for juvenile detention staff, which is led by its director, Lynn Duke. A yard sign supports Rutherford County juvenile judge candidate Travis Lampley. Retrieved June 24, John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville. The final results on Election night will be official after the Rutherford County Election Commission meets at 5 p. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Rep. About 1, were eligible for a claim in the class-action case based on the statute of limitations. Somebody needs to be helped and have a hand up, instead of pushing them down. Meribah Knight.

Juvenile court judge Donna Scott Davenport , one of the last elected leaders still in office after being tied to Rutherford County's decades-long history of illegally arresting and jailing children, announced Tuesday afternoon she won't seek re-election later this year. The announcement came one day after Democratic Party lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly said they were seeking legislation to oust Davenport.

The plaintiffs argued that both measures violated constitutional rights to due process. Facebook Twitter Email. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville. He hopes to turn the position inside out by hosting regular community and school meetings, and educating people about what the role could be. Read Edit View history. As pressure mounted Davenport announced her retirement as juvenile court judge one afternoon in January, leaving the community to pick a new judge to fill her seat. And we can do that and we can make that turnaround. And 11 members of Congress signed a letter asking the U. Sparks, nevertheless, points out that as of , two dozen states required police to allow parents to be informed and present during interrogations of their children and 19 states required those interrogations to be recorded. She wrote the Tennessee State bar exam about a year after graduation. He also said the county could be liable for arresting juveniles instead of issuing citations or court summons. Tennessee Rep.