Mike Hammond ditches push to merge Knox County criminal-civil courts

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond is no longer pursuing a proposal to place most of the county’s court system under one umbrella, a plan he pitched in early November to some local leaders.

“It’s just not the right timing for it,” he told WBIR 10News Thursday. “I think politicians – elected officials – need to find ways to save money and streamline things and that’s what I was trying to do, but I didn’t seem to be getting the right traction from folks.”

Hammond first suggested the move to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett in the wake of a WBIR 10News investigation in late October that detailed the county Circuit Court Office's failure to turn over any money to the county coffers – for the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in the past six years.

The criminal court clerk is responsible for the criminal, sessions and fourth circuit courts. The circuit court clerk oversees civil sessions and juvenile court.

MORE: Hammond to Mayor: Merge Knox County Court System

MORE: Hammond's memo to the Knox County mayor

MORE: Shanks' memo to the Knox County mayor

MORE: No extra fees from Knox Co Circuit Ct Clerk four years running

In a two-page memo sent to the Mayor’s Office, Hammond proposed several options.

He first suggested merging the criminal and civil sessions courts and putting them under the criminal court clerk's purview. He noted that the sessions court judges already hear cases in both courts and it “would be a relatively easy and smooth transition.”

Hammond’s second proposal - which he favored - would combine both operations but put everything under the control of the circuit court clerk, since the state constitution mandates that counties have a circuit court clerk, but not a criminal court clerk.

Hammond proposes making that move by September 2018 when his and Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Shanks' terms in office end. Since neither are term-limited they could each run for the circuit court clerk position.

Shanks at the time called the proposal "regressive."

"I think what he wants to do – he compared it to Blount County – and that’s the model for small counties," she said. "Large counties don’t do that because it provides better customer service for the court systems to be divided so that they can meet customer needs better."

The issue now is moot.

“Since Cathy had said she wasn’t running again, I thought it was a good idea to suggest it then,” Hammond said. “But it doesn’t seem to be the right time, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s not even an issue.”

Debate over whether to merge Knox Co. criminal, circuit court systems

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond would like to put most of the county’s court system under one umbrella, a move that he says would help the offices “operate more efficiently” and “serve to once again generate excess fees” for local government.

His counterpart - Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Shanks - says the plan is "regressive" and the supposed financial benefits "are not realistic."

Hammond's proposal comes in the wake of a WBIR 10News investigation in late October that detailed the county Circuit Court Office's failure to turn over any money to the county coffers – for the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in the past six years.

MORE: Hammond's memo to the Knox County mayor
MORE: Shanks' memo to the Knox County mayor
MORE: No extra fees from Knox Co Circuit Ct Clerk four years running

As it stands, the criminal court clerk is responsible for the criminal, sessions and fourth circuit courts. The circuit court clerk oversees civil sessions and juvenile court.

Hammond's plan, which was detailed in a 2-page memo marked “confidential” and sent to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett on Nov. 8, provides two options. WBIR obtained a copy of the memo under the state's open records law.

You can find the rest of the story HERE.

Hammond: Won't seek mayoral post

I was talking with Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond this morning and he said he will not run for county mayor.

There had been some rumors that he would.

Instead, Hammond said he will either run for criminal court clerk again or for the circuit court clerk's gig.

As it stands, Knox County Commissioner Bob Thomas and Knox County GOP Chairman Buddy Burkhardt so far have announced their intentions to seek the county's mayoral seat.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is term-limited. His current and second term ends in the fall of 2018.

Community service plan for indigent defendants launches October 3

Starting Oct. 3, a new pilot program will give local judges the power to offer community service - rather than issue stiff fines and fines - to thousands of poor defendants.

On Monday, Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond joined with three local partners to unveil details regarding the program, described essentially as "hours per pay." It gives those unable to make any payments the option to repay their debts to society by performing community service.

WBIR 10News addressed the problem last summer in its "Fines, Fees and a Flawed System" investigation of Knox County court operations.

The review, in part, found that a handful of homeless, indigent defendants were responsible for court debts of more than $750,000 - a figure that court officials readily admit the men could never pay.

The state legislature approved the plan, which is unique to Knox County, earlier this year. It is set to sunset July 1, 2018.

10News Investigates: Handful of Knox convicts owe hundreds of thousands to court system

At that point, lawmakers will decide if it was successful and whether to implement it statewide.

The legislation allowed Hammond the opportunity to implement a community service program for those defendants who are truly unable to pay their court costs, yet able to do work.

The amount of community service a person would need to work depends on how much they owe. A program chart showed a gradual scale ranging from 8 hours for those facing up to $100 in fines and court costs to 88 hours of required service for those facing $3,000 - $4,000 in costs.

The approved partners include Knox County Engineering and Public Works, Knox Area Rescue Ministries, and Lending Angels.

The program recognizes that many of the offenders unable to pay also receive services from KARM. So a partnership with KARM could benefit the community and offender.

Lending Angels will be looking for individuals with skills and experience to help with home repairs and improvements for those with disabilities or older adults.

But not every defendant can take part. Hammond said there will be background checks on potential participants and those convicted of violent crimes, sexual offenses, and animal abuse won't be eligible.

Additional info and forms for those who are interested will be posted Oct. 3 on the Knox County Criminal Court's website.

Knox Co. to start community service program for indigent defendants

Knox County leaders on Monday will lay out the details to a new pilot program that gives local judges the power to offer community service - rather than issue stiff fines and fees - to thousands of indigent defendants.

The state legislation was approved earlier this year, but is unique to Knox County. It will sunset July 1, 2018.

At that point, lawmakers will determine if it was successful and whether to implement it statewide.

“In the past, the people convicted of various crimes that involved a fine could claim poverty and the judge would dismiss them, so technically you would get off scot-free,” said state Sen. Richard Briggs, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. “Well, you can still claim poverty but the judge has the option to issue community service as part of the punishment to pay back the debt to society.”

The bill gives Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond the power to implement the program. Once the defendants are referred to his office, the clerks can determine whether the defendants qualify and – if needed – monitor their progress.

Hammond will talk more about the program during a news conference Monday morning.

"As we roll out the program we will have three providers who will help out, including solid waste, KARM and the Lending Angels, who are a group of nurses who help identify the needs of the elderly and may have specific needs for carpenter skills," Hammond said. "This program will be the first of its kind in the state."

WBIR 10News addressed the problem last summer in its "Fines, Fees and a Flawed System" investigation of Knox County court operations.

The review, in part, found that a handful of homeless, indigent defendants were responsible for court debts of more than $750,000 - a figure that court officials readily admit the men could never pay.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm from the Legislature about this bill,” Briggs said. “Hopefully it will be successful.”

Criminal Ct Clerk: $1M lost because office collected wrong jail fee

For almost two decades, the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office charged and collected the wrong jail fee amount.

As a result the county lost out on at least $1 million.

The problem was discovered earlier this week and fixed Thursday morning.

“For 19 years we have not been charging what the law says we should be charging,” Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond said.

In July 1997, the Knox County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution raising the daily jail fee for those incarcerated from $46.20 to $50.

However, the criminal court clerk’s office never acknowledged the increase.

“Realistically, or conservatively, I should say, we believe the county has missed out on over a $1 million,” Hammond said. “And it’s more than that, but that’s the conservative number.”

Hammond, who took office in September 2014, said he asked his chief of staff, Richard Major, to look at all fees his office charges and collects and to make sure the costs are in line with state and local law.

Major discovered the error on Wednesday.

“You look at well over $1 million and that’s money that could go toward this new safety center (for the mentally ill) that they’re talking about,” Hammond said. “Or it could go to jail improvements, or it could go to the sheriff’s department to buy additional supplies or things for the jail system.”

Moving forward, Hammond said, he expects jail fee collections to bring in an additional $50,000 to $60,000 in revenues for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Rest of story HERE.

County, state, clerk split account

Remember that $2.6 million unknown account that Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond found when he took office and the ol' blog broke the story?

You can read about it RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Well, a little update.

The state, of course, wanted a cut.

So, after almost a year of discussion, the state agreed to take $451K for what's called litigation taxes and some interest, and the county gets $1.2 million. The clerk's office will get the rest to cover salary.

Court Clerk: Money from Knox County bail bond agencies pouring in now

The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office has collected roughly $78,500 from East Tennessee bail bonding agencies that owed the state because their Knox County defendants failed to show up for court.

The uptick in collections comes just weeks after a WBIR 10News investigation revealed that more than a dozen of the companies were on the hook to the justice system for more than $141,000.

The Clerk's Office reports some of the debts go back two and three years, some maybe even more than that.

The money – called a bond forfeiture – is a source of revenue for the state. But it falls under the purview of the Clerk's Office and the local General Sessions and Criminal Court judges to monitor, collect and enforce.

When someone is arrested and jailed, a magistrate or a judge often sets a monetary value of bail. It's meant to ensure a defendant will come to court if given his freedom pending prosecution.

The defendant is typically kept in jail until the full amount of bond is posted, usually by someone acting on his behalf.

Once the defendant's case comes to a resolution, the person will get back the money – minus any fees, penalties or court costs.

In addition, a defendant wishing to pay bail can purchase a surety bond – or premium – through a bonding company. That cost is typically 10 percent of the overall bond amount, and the defendant does not get the money back.

By agreeing to bond the person out, the bonding agency becomes responsible for making sure the defendant goes to court for trial.

If the defendant skips a court date, the judge issues an arrest warrant and forfeits the bond. The agency then owes the court the full bond payment.

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond said seven bail bonding companies have paid a combined $78,500 of the total debt as of Oct. 7.

Full story RIGHT HERE.

Officials to launch 'Purple Out Day'

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond will launch the inaugural statewide "Purple Out Day" campaign in Knox County benefiting Alzheimer's Tennessee, a non-profit organization.

Hammond and a number of top local elected county officials will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday at the City County Building to talk more about the initiative and how the community can participate.

Read the news release right HERE.

Outstanding Debt: fines, fees Part 3

Offenders owe $16.2 million in restitution

Susan Lynn Hoard pleaded guilty in 2000 for stealing almost $1 million in client trust accounts held by a Knoxville law firm where she worked. She spent the money on elaborate dresses, a swimming pool and a convertible.

Then-Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz sentenced the former secretary to 18 months in prison and ordered her to pay back more than $600,000.

Records, however, show that she’s returned about $14,500 – only 2.4 percent of the overall bill since then – and hasn’t cut a check to the victims in almost two years.

And, she’s not the only one who has fallen behind – or not made – restitution payments.

There are hundreds and hundreds of criminals convicted in the Knox County court system that owe some amount of compensation. In fact, records show that victims are due a combined $16.2 million in restitution, a figure that dates back to 1998.

Sometimes the offenders have ripped off their own company. Other times, they’ve stolen from strangers, even family and friends. They might have written a check that bounced or burglarized a house.

In some cases, the criminals have taken cars, clothes, jewelry or cash. Often times, they’ve vandalized someone’s property.

Either way, there’s roughly a hundred convicted criminals alone that owe tens of thousands of dollars each to area residents and businesses, and local leaders are growing concerned that the money – as the debts get older and older – is getting harder and harder to collect.

So concerned are they, that the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office is looking to hire a new debt collector, which officials in the office hope to have in place by Nov. 1.

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

For the rest of the story, including lists of those who owe, slideshows and more, click RIGHT HERE.

Outstanding Debt: fines, fees Part 2

The second part of our 3-day series:

Mindful of the defendants in the Knox County General Sessions Court system who have accrued years of costs and fees they cannot possibly pay, Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond is preparing a plan.

He said he wants to identify the people who have no hope of paying what they owe, such as the handful of homeless, indigent defendants 10News reported Monday in its investigative series "Fines, Fees and a Flawed System. " The men collectively owe more than $750,000.

Hammond also wants to single out those who have simply fallen behind or neglected what they owe and really can pay at least something. And the clerk wants to offer possible ways a defendant could work off his bill, perhaps some kind of community service.

It's all still in the "idea" stage, said Hammond, a former county commissioner who took office in September, and he first needs to come up with a detailed, specific proposal to present to Knox County General Sessions Court judges.

Knox County defendants owe millions of dollars of unpaid court costs and fees, figures show. It's not unusual for one person to owe $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000. Many defendants who are charged with a crime are already poor and rely on a court-appointed attorney for representation.

The five men profiled by 10News on Monday owe more, judges, clerks and lawyers concede, than they could ever pay. One defendant, Anthony Joe Mason, died in April, and last week a General Sessions Court judge abated his costs in a case.

"We'll go to the judges and say, We're not going to collect this. Our recommendation to you is that we forgive this debt. Let's not have it on our books. It's kinda like a bad debt in business," Hammond said.

He's also is in the process of looking for a new collection agency that can help with collections and hopes to have that firm in place in November.

Hammond oversees clerical operations for the General Sessions, Criminal and Fourth Circuit courts.

All told there's about $159 million on the books waiting to be collected in those courts, the vast amount in General Sessions and Criminal courts.

Hammond said he would be happy if he could bring in a fraction of that - $15 million or $20 million.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Outstanding debt: fines, fees Part I

We started a 3-part investigation last night looking at the money owed from criminals to the county and their victims.

In the Knox County General Sessions Court system, four men notorious for having been arrested thousands of times collectively owe more than $600,000 in fines and court costs.

That's money they'll never pay back. Never.

If the amount were 10 percent of that they couldn't afford it. If it were only 1 percent - $6,000 - the public would never see a dime.

Michael Pierce, Harvey Alley, Donald Street and Aubrey McGill are the four worst offenders when it comes to people who owe the court system money, according to figures given to 10News by Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond's office.

A fifth man, Anthony Joe Mason, also appears on the Clerk's Office's list of worst offenders, but 10News has determined he died in April.

The defendants' bills never go down. They have been growing since the 1980s when the names of many of the five first were typed into the county's computer system.

Within all of his purview, Sessions Court, Criminal Court and Fourth Circuit Court, Mike Hammond said he faces $159 million in uncollected costs and fees. He said it's not realistic to think his office actually could collect all that money.

Rest of the story RIGHT HERE.

Courts to feature bilingual speaker

Avalos-Evon

I thought this was pretty cool. There are probably some other county (and possibly city offices) that should make similar hires. (I'm not sure of the salary. Hey, I'm on vacation, it's not like I'm gonna be busting it this week. Heh.)

From Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond:

“Since I have been in office, I have seen a need for someone who is bilingual to assist our Spanish speaking community,” Hammond said.  Ms. (Laura) Avalos-Evon has worked in the Juvenile and Circuit/ Sessions Court Clerk’s office in Jefferson County for eight years. 

"She is bilingual in English and Spanish and will be available to assist persons in each of the three Clerk offices which includes 4th Circuit, Criminal Sessions, and Criminal Court.  Her first day will be July 13th. 

"She is a member of the Jefferson Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and the 2004 Jefferson County Leadership Class.  Prior to joining the Clerk’s office in Jefferson County she worked with Safespace in Newport as an advocate to the Hispanic Community about Domestic Violence."

$1 million lost because litigation court fee not properly collected

For more than two decades, the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office failed to properly collect a mandatory court fee.

As a result, officials say, the county coffers lost out on at least $1 million.

"Those are real numbers – it's probably more – that's just a conservative number," said Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond, who took over the office in September 2014. "And when you think of all the needs we have in Knox County and the fact that the amount was not properly collected, it doesn't speak well for the office."

The problem, Hammond said, was discovered recently and has since been fixed.

In 1992, the Knox County Commission raised the local litigation tax for criminal and sessions courts from $26.25 to $28.50.

In 1995, the board raised the litigation tax for the Fourth Circuit Court from $21.50 to $23.75.
The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office, which is the record keeper for the three courts, never collected the new amounts after the changes were implemented.

Hammond said that after the County Commission in June bumped the tax by another $5, he discovered the mistake while researching past increases.

Hammond declined to blame his employees, "who were doing what they were told to do." But, he said, he doesn't know why the office didn't comply with the commission-approved changes.

Hammond's predecessor, Joy McCroskey, ran the office beginning in mid-2008. She took over after Martha Phillips – who was elected to the job in the 1980s – died.

"It's frustrating for me as a citizen . . . to know that there was a million dollars that could have been collected," he said.

Hammond added that by properly collecting the tax, the money could amount to an additional $50,000 a year in revenue. It will go to the Knox County general fund.

"In the grand scheme of things if you're looking at a $700 million (county operating) budget, then $50,000 doesn't sound like a lot, but $50,000 is a teacher's salary, or $50,000 could be used for Parks and Recreation, or to buy a new vehicle or those types of things," he said.

The litigation tax is assessed on the front end of lawsuits in civil court when they are filed, and on the back end of criminal court cases as part of the fine.

Hammond, Brantley to take consulting gigs with Merle 96.7 FM in April

Hammond

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond and Knox County Commissioner Ed Brantley – both long-time radio executives – have each signed six-month agreements to do consulting work with Merle 96.7 FM (WMYL).

Both will start April 1.

Hammond, a Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee who stepped away from his job at WCYQ when he ran for office last year, will help the station with programming and music.

Brantley, who spent almost three decades at WIVK before leaving in 2010, will help with programming, sales and community relations.

Brantley

“Merle FM is a high-quality operation from the ground up,” Brantley said in a statement. “Merle sounds great, and it keeps strong relationships within the community among both listeners and advertisers. I am excited to begin working with the staff using the knowledge, experience, and relationships formed over the years and help move Merle FM to the next level.”

Brantley and Hammond each took office last September. The commission post is technically a part-time job. The criminal court clerk seat, however, is a full-time gig.

Hammond told WBIR 10News that his role with the station will not interfere with his elected duties and that he will consult only during the evenings and weekends when he is not at the City County Building.

He said the new role also wouldn’t require him to travel outside of Knox County.

"(The criminal court clerk job) is my focus each day, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished,” Hammond said in a statement. “Working with Merle on the weekends will be another extension of my public service as I work with artists and musicians to give them the chance to have their music heard on the radio.”

Hammond also will host a show on Sunday called “From Nashville to Knoxville.”

Hammond freezes 'undiscovered' court clerk account; allotments increase

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond froze a rarely used account that his workers discovered last September when he took over the office, and is working out a plan with the state on how to disperse the $2.6 million in it.

In the meantime, the amount of money Hammond’s office typically turns over to the county coffers has now quadrupled, since his staffers quit using the account.

“We’ve begun distributing the money on a monthly basis as opposed to the way it’s been done before and you can see the increases,” Hammond told the county’s Audit Committee on Monday.

In addition, the amount turned over to the sheriff’s office has tripled according to records, and the amount given to the state has jumped five times.

Early last September, Hammond’s office discovered what finance officials dub an “undistributed” account, located at First Tennessee Bank, which was set up at least 50 years ago.

Here’s how it worked:

When someone pays a fine to the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office, officials are supposed to divvy up the money between a number of entities, like the state or the sheriff's office. However, if someone made a partial payment, the money – under Hammond’s predecessors – would get deposited into the “undistributed” account, and remain there until the fine was completely paid. Only then would it get dispersed.

The office doesn’t have the records detailing how the account got every dollar, so Hammond this week is expected to talk to state officials to determine what the county can do with the money.

In the meantime, Hammond said his office is now distributing partial payments to the entities each month, rather than putting them into the account. Since starting this new distribution formula in mid-December, the allotments have jumped substantially.

For example, in October – Hammond’s first full month in office – the department turned over $23,600 to the county, but those were monies tied to full payments made to the office by criminal offenders, and did not include partial payments.

Records show that in January – the first full month when the change took effect – the office turned over $88,400 to the county. These funds included the partial payments that in the past would go into the undistributed account.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office in October got $9,200 from the clerk, and in January received more than $28,800.

Likewise, the state received $7,750 from the clerk’s office in October and almost $45,000 in January.

“Although it’s only one month, it looks like we’re seeing a trend,” said Richard Major, chief deputy of the criminal court clerk’s office.

Knox County Commissioner and audit committee member Dave Wright agreed.

“We were unable to disperse (the money) before because that’s just the way things were done 25, 30, 45 years ago,” he said. “Now we’re looking at a new way of doing things, where when money comes in then the money is being paid out.”

The Criminal Court Clerk's Office is self-sustaining fee office, meaning it collects fines and fees, and keeps enough to pay the office employees and build a small reserve. The remaining funds are supposed to be turned over to the county.

New criminal court system to help prevent wrongful arrests in Knox Co.

Local leaders have put together a blueprint designed to streamline the criminal justice process so that authorities do not wrongly arrest residents – something that happened because of poor record keeping and improper training in the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office during the past couple of years.

In a letter signed by eight judges, the district attorney general and the sheriff, among others, officials agreed to a series of proposals tied to better protecting records, formalizing training programs and implementing a real-time data entry process in the county courtrooms.

The move comes after an internal audit released last August revealed a number of problems and inefficiencies in the Criminal Court Clerk's Office when it operated under Joy McCroskey.

The audit was a result WBIR 10News investigation that revealed that a short supply of technology and training inside the department created a series of problems that led to wrongful arrests, cases set aside due to errors and residents temporarily losing their right to vote.

McCroskey, who took office in mid-2008, opted not to seek re-election in 2014. Mike Hammond, a former county commissioner, succeeded her last September, taking over the department that serves as the official record keeper for the criminal court, generals sessions court and Fourth Circuit court, early last September.

"We'll now be able to go in and input the data as it happens," Hammond said. "Right now we'll go into the courtroom and then bring out a bunch of documents, and we're responsible for transcribing that information back onto that computer, maybe a day or two after the event. This way, we'll be able to do that in the courtroom."

Dick Moran, head of the county's IT department, which has been working with officials to streamline the process, agreed.

"All of the people involved in this, all the way to law enforcement – the chief of police, the sheriff, everybody – wants to see the information timely and accurate so that no citizen is deprived of their liberty," he said. "That's the most important thing."

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Court Clerk looking to give county $1.3 million from 'unknown' account

Mike Hammond

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond is looking into a plan to transfer some $1.3 million from one of his rarely used office accounts into the county’s general coffers.

Hammond said that upon taking office in early September last year, he discovered what he called an “unknown account” that auditors rarely if ever checked because of its infrequent activity.

He said the account, located at First Tennessee Bank, has roughly $2.6 million in it but there’s no documentation itemizing specifically where the money came from.

He said it was set up at least 50 years ago.

Here’s how it worked:

When someone pays a fine to the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office, officials are supposed to divvy up the money between a number of entities, like the state or the sheriff’s office.

However, if someone made a partial payment, the money would get deposited, and remain there until the fine was completely paid. Only then would it get distributed.

“They had money going in, but very little going out,” Hammond said.

The office doesn’t have the records detailing how the account got every dollar. Hammond, however, said he believes he could turn half the money in the account over to the county and still have enough to pay off the various entities as people settle their fines.

Hammond said he will hammer out the details in the coming weeks, and would move forward only if the county’s law department and the County Technical Assistance Service sign off on it.

Officials will talk more about the matter during Monday’s audit committee meeting.

In the meantime, Hammond said from now on, his office will forward any partial payments over to the various entities, rather than let the money build up.

The Criminal Court Clerk’s Office is self-sustaining fee office, meaning it collects fines and fees, and keeps enough to pay the office employees and build a small reserve. The remaining funds are supposed to be turned over to the county.

That didn’t always happen under Hammond’s predecessors.

McCroskey, top aide to each get $10,000 in unused sick leave pay

Joy McCroskey

Former Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Joy McCroskey will receive $10,000 from the county for unused sick leave she accrued before taking office more than five years ago.

The payment stems from a county policy that took effect in July 2013. So far, 26 employees have been paid a combined $148,850.

McCroskey opted not to seek re-election. Her last day was Aug. 29.

In addition, her chief deputy, Janice Norman, whose last day on the job also was Aug. 29, will get $10,000.

Two other retiring deputy clerks – Judy Yardley and Janice Short – also will receive $1,700 and $567, respectively, under the policy.

County Mayor Tim Burchett and newly sworn-in Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond are not happy about it. Burchett says it's possible officials might revisit the policy, and Hammond says the money will come out of his budget, which means, he'll have to cut something.

The complete story RIGHT SMACK HERE.

The new criminal court clerk hires

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond has hired eight new employees - one part-time and seven full-time, which includes one transfer. In total, the office lost nine (through terminations and retirements) and gained 7.5.

Here are the names and titles (didn't hear back in time to get the salaries):

Cathleen Wilson, part-time magistrate clerk

Zachary Steele, magistrate clerk (former employee who was transferred to the sheriff’s office three or four years ago and is returning)

Kimberly Beal, general sessions court financial transactions clerk

Lisha Amburgey, general sessions court cost collections clerk

Carol McCarter, fourth circuit court cost collections

Christy Gentry, human resources manager (She used to work in the Trustee’s Office)

Sara Helms, criminal court docket management data entry clerk (She used to work under Joy McCroskey)

Trish Graybeal, general sessions court data citations entry clerk (She used to work under Joy McCroskey)