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Residents urge investigations into judiciary, probation and sheriff's office at Blount County meeting
Summary
Multiple residents used public comment on April 16 to allege evidence withholding, probation abuses, and an unlawful courthouse policy; they called for investigations and asked the district attorney to consider filings, but commissioners took no formal action at the meeting.
Several Blount County residents used the April 16 public-comment period to make allegations about local courts, probation and the sheriff’s office and to call for investigative action by county authorities.
Michelle Stevens, who said she lives in District 4, alleged that magistrate Diane Lashman "withheld evidence" and "aided and abetted an international child sex crime" by covering up her son's actions; Stevens asked commissioners why Lashman remained in office. "She got a slap on the hand and was told that she withheld evidence," Stevens said during her three-minute comment.
Jessica Saxton, speaking on behalf of We the People of Blount County, alleged that a November 2022 order created a "de facto crime, an unauthorized warrantless seizure of private property" at the Blount County Justice Center and called for an ouster petition for Sheriff Barone. Saxton said she has drafted a writ of ouster and asked the district attorney, Greg Garrett, to review it; the clerk told the meeting that filings are not accepted there.
Other speakers raised related concerns. Glenn Henderson urged commissioners to investigate claimed corruption; Shayna Kirkland, a candidate for District 1 Seat A, described a false-positive fentanyl test tied to Blount County Probation and said the testing lab's location in the same building suggested a conflict of interest. "That place needs to be investigated," Kirkland said. Mandy Branch, who said she no longer lives in Blount County but had juvenile-court involvement, alleged failures to involve the Department of Children's Services, overuse of ex parte orders and costly guardian ad litem appointments in juvenile cases.
Context and next steps: the commissioners did not take formal investigative action during the meeting and indicated they do not accept legal filings there. Speakers referenced the Tennessee Constitution and Tennessee Code Annotated when urging enforcement and review; Jessica Saxton specifically asked the district attorney to pursue a writ of ouster. The meeting record shows only that the public comments were received and entered into the record; no commission motion was made to refer the matters to an investigatory body during the session.
The commission adjourned after public comment. Individuals who raised allegations at the meeting would need to seek formal filings or request investigation through the appropriate offices (for example, the district attorney or the Board of Professional Responsibility) for potential official action.
