Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Hammond seeks Criminal Court seat

Mike Hammond
Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond, a former board chairman and longtime local radio personality, announced his intentions Wednesday morning to run for the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's seat.

The move comes in the wake of a WBIR Channel 10 investigation that has unveiled a series of problems inside the office that officials are now calling a systemic problem that has led to wrongful arrests, wrongfully revoked driver's licenses, and unwarranted convictions.

Hammond, long rumored to run for the position, said he will talk more about his qualifications and outline his plan during his official kickoff late next month at Calhoun's.

"I have for some time been considering a run for the office of the Clerk of Criminal Courts and had set Nov. 20 as the start of my campaign," he said. "I am today formally announcing that I will be a candidate for the office of Knox County Clerk of Criminal Courts in the May 2014 Republican Primary. At my campaign kickoff November 20th at 4:30 pm at Calhouns on the River, I will outline my vision for the office and how it can better serve the citizens of Knox County."

McCroskey, who has denied many of the allegations brought to her, first took office after her predecessor Martha Phillips passed away. She was elected in 2010.

She is over Fourth Circuit Court, General Sessions, and Criminal Court.

McCroskey operates what the county calls a "fee office," meaning it's supposed to be self-sustaining. Any money it receives covers $494,000 in monthly payroll, including benefits, and the rest is turned over to the county's general fund to help maintain overall day-to-day operations.

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