Another candidate faces legal action

Jason Hunnicutt

Another Knox County candidate who is running for the criminal court clerk’s seat is facing civil action.

Records show that a summons has been issued for Jason Hunnicutt, a prosecutor who works in the county’s District Attorney General’s Office. The action was brought by the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, which says he owes the operation $486.64 and another $162 in court costs.

Hunnicutt faces Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond and local attorney Steve Williams in the Republican primary. Incumbent Joy McCroskey opted not to seek re-election. No Democrats filed to run, so whoever wins on May 6 will begin serving a four-year term at the beginning of September.

On Friday, Hunnicutt told 10News that “all my bills are paid.” When asked why the hospital would seek money from him, he said that in the past he had disputed a bill regarding emergency room services “because of the deductible, but it’s been paid.”

His court date is set for May 7.

Earlier this month, WBIR 10News first reported that the federal government has levied tax liens against at least two judicial Knox County candidates and a civil judgment was issued against a third.

Records show that one of Hunnicutt’s opponents, Steve Williams, owes a combined $24,562.89 in taxes from 2003-05. Records show that Williams didn't pay federal unemployment taxes for his business, individual income taxes and he faced penalties for failing to file the correct information.

Williams said he's paying off the tax debt and he owed about $16,000 at this point.

He said his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, and that the medicine she needed was expensive.

Also, Blount County's Tennessee Endoscopy Center in May 2013 received a judgment against him for $2,368.58.

A civil judgment also was issued against Clarence "Eddie" Pridemore, a Republican attorney who will face Daryl Fansler, a Democrat and incumbent for the Chancellor, Part II seat in the August general election.

GE Monday Bank in May 2011 received a judgment against Pridemore for a Lowe's credit card debt totaling $3,709.66.

Further, records show that Patti Jane Lay, a Republican seeking the circuit court judge Div. IV seat, owes a combined $58,069.11 in individual income taxes from 2000 through 2003. The federal lien was filed against her four years ago, according to records in the Knox County Register of Deeds Office.

One lien is against her and husband, John Baugh, for $46,700. The other is against her for $11,300.

Lay called the liens "a clerical mistake" that "involves a partnership return prepared and filed by someone else that contains other individual's tax information."

Hammond to focus on delinquent dues

Mike Hammond

Knox County Criminal Court candidate Mike Hammond says if elected he will focus on strengthening the collections unit in the department. He says – quoting a Paywall Paper report – that there is some $158 million in uncollected court costs and fines (although no one really knows how far back that goes).

“Unpaid court costs and fines are like a bad loan to the people of Knox County,” Hammond said.  “The ones who are benefiting are the scofflaws.  The taxpayers who pay the bills are the responsible taxpayers.”

You can read the entire release right smack here.

Remember, feel free to send me your election info and I’ll post it here.

Hammond faces local attorneys Steve Williams and Jason Hunnicutt in the May Republican primary.

Incumbent Joy McCoskey opted not to seek re-election. There are no Democratic challenges.

Williams says he won't opt out of Knox criminal court clerk's race

So, there’s a rumor that Knox County Criminal Court Clerk candidate and attorney Steve Williams will drop out of the race, especially after local prosecutor Jason Hunnicutt jumped in at the last minute.

Williams this afternoon told me that it’s not true and he’s in it to win.

He did, however, joke that he wished Hunnicutt had waited 45 minutes to turn in his petition. (He turned it in about 30 minutes before deadline.)

The race, which will be settled in the May Republican primary, will now feature Commissioner Mike Hammond, Williams and Hunnicutt. (Incumbent Joy McCroskey has pulled out.)

By the way, the deadline to drop out and not have your name on the ballot is noon Feb. 27.

Hunnicutt enters crim ct clerk race

Hunnicutt turned in his petition Thursday

Jason Hunnicutt, a prosecutor in the District Attorney General’s Office, picked up his petition to run for the criminal court clerk seat on Wednesday, and then returned it just 40 minutes before Thursday’s noon deadline.

“It happened so fast,” he said, referring to incumbent Joy McCroskey’s decision on Tuesday not to seek re-election and his plans to jump into the contest.

“I’ve worked with the criminal court cler’s office every day for 12 years and there’s some good people in there but there are some things that need changing,” he said.

Hunnicutt added that he will appoint a campaign treasurer next week and then start raising money.

He didn’t want to go into details Thursday but said the clerk’s office “needs better oversight and more training.”

He also said he’d like to “modernize” it, and noted that its computer systems could use an upgrade to keep track of fines.

Hunnicutt will face Commissioner Mike Hammond and local attorney Steve Williams in the May Republican primary. The general election is set for August, but no Democrats filed to run for the seat.

County prosecutor picks up petition to run for criminal ct clerk post

Jason Hunnicutt

Well, well, things might get interesting in the race for the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s seat.

Jason Hunnicutt, a prosecutor in the District Attorney General’s Office, picked up a nominating petition today to run for the post. This comes less than a day after incumbent (and embattled) clerk Joy McCroskey told her staffers thatshe would not seek re-election.

At this point Republicans Mike Hammond, a county commissioner, and Steve Williams, a local attorney, are running. Candidates have until noon tomorrow to turn in their petitions.

Hunnicutt, 40, has worked as an assistant district attorney for Knox County since 2002 with a one year intermission (2005-06) when he served as counsel to the Commissioner of Safety. He’s also worked as legislative counsel for the Tennessee General Assembly.

He received a degree in political science from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys College of Law in 2000.

Anyhoo, you can find a lot of this stuff right smack here.

District Attorney General Randy Nichols has a policy that if any of his employees run for office against an incumbent then they have to take a leave of absence. Since McCroskey opted out of the race, Hunnicutt will be allowed to continue working in the office.

The county primary is set for May with a general election in August.