Probation council places two cases under litigation monitoring, urges local courts to transfer remaining probationers

On Nov. 7, 2025, the Tennessee Private Probation Services Council voted to place two matters involving a private probation company and its owner into litigation monitoring and to recommend that the local court transfer remaining probationers to the county probation office while criminal proceedings continue.

Associate General Counsel Michael Underhill told the council the legal report “consists of 2 cases” involving the private probation entity and the owner and said his recommendation was to keep both matters in litigation monitoring while awaiting any criminal disposition. Underhill said the local court has already transferred some probationers and, based on his contact there, “have moved them over to the county probation service while he wraps up the other ones that were already granted to him.”

Council members raised concerns about whether the provider should continue supervising and collecting payments from probationers while criminal charges proceed. Judge Joel Perry summarized the panel’s concern: it “doesn't seem appropriate for him to be accepting money and supervising probationers while this is ongoing given the facts of the case.” The reported criminal charges, as read into the record, included money laundering and forgery.

After discussion, the council amended the legal report to add language stating it was the council’s recommendation that the local contact and court take over any remaining probationers not already transferred to county supervision. The amendment was recorded in the roll call as having been made by Judge Brody Kane and seconded by Judge Teresa Nelson. The roll-call vote recorded the following: Brody Kane — aye; Teresa Nelson — aye; Joel Perry — aye; Stacy Kelly — aye; Michael Wright — abstain; Baker Ring — aye. The motion carried and the legal report was approved as amended.

The council did not vote to suspend the provider’s registration at the meeting; members discussed suspension as a possibility but directed staff to add the recommendation to the legal report and to monitor the criminal proceedings. Underhill said staff would contact the local court contact to convey the council’s recommendation and continue litigation monitoring, and that the council would revisit the matter after any criminal disposition.

The action places the two matters on the council’s monitoring list; staff will report back with updates to the council as criminal proceedings develop.