Day: March 6, 2018

Former Mayor Megan Barry Smiles for the Camera in Mug Shot

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As the firestorm surrounding former Mayor Megan Barry’s abrupt resignation and guilty plea on a felony charge continues to roil Nashville, the Metro Nashville Police Department released Barry’s booking photo on Tuesday. A serene, fresh-looking mugshot of Barry will now hold its place is the annals of political history as Nashville’s first woman elected to the Mayor’s office resigns in disgrace. Even with the mayor’s guilty plea, investigations continue, which could mean trouble for her top staff. The Nashville Scene’s Steven Hale tweeted the photo: https://twitter.com/iamstevenhale/status/971085824677818369

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Judson Phillips Commentary: What Kind of Deal Did Megan Barry Get?

Tennessee Star Staff

On Tuesday, Megan Barry resigned as Nashville’s mayor. But before she announced her resignation, she made a trip to criminal court. What happened there? Here is what WKRN said about it: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry pleaded guilty in Davidson County court to felony theft charges Tuesday morning. One condition of her plea agreement was to resign from the office of mayor. Barry pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 charges. It is a conditional plea agreement for which Barry will receive three years unsupervised probation. She also must pay $11,000 in restitution and if she follows her plea agreement for next three years, the charges can be dismissed and expunged. In plain, non-lawyer English, Megan Barry walked into the courtroom never having been convicted of a felony. When she left, she still was not a convicted felon. Barry entered a plea under Tennessee’s judicial diversion statute, Tennessee Code Annotated 40-35-313. This is often referred to as a conditional guilty plea. In this type of case, the defendant makes a conditional plea but the judge does not enter the judgment (the legal instrument that convicts someone). The person then serves a period of probation and if they successfully complete…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Resigns In Aftermath of Extramarital Affair With Bodyguard

Tennessee Star Staff

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry announced her resignation at a brief press conference held Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. at Nashville City Hall. The announcement came shortly after she pleaded guilty to felony charges of theft in a Nashville criminal court. “Today is primarily about the smooth transition of power from my administration to that of Vice Mayor David Briley,” Barry said in a statement that lasted less than three minutes:   Nashville, with its boundless energy its infectious optimism . . . will in years ahead continue its steady march to the very top of the list of great American cities. It’s a continued climb that I will watch, but I will watch as a private citizen. Barry’s bodyguard and lover, MNPD Sgt. Rob Forrest, also faces criminal charges, apparently. “Sgt. Forrest is being led into the Court House right now,” NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams reported at 10:15 a.m.  

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Tennessean Report: ‘Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Is Expected to Announce Her Resignation Tuesday Morning’

Tennessee Star Staff

UPDATE:  At 9:05 a.m., WKRN reported “JUST IN: Davidson County Criminal Court says Mayor Barry is expected to appear in criminal court this morning.” 8:15 a.m. The Tennessean is reporting that “Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is expected to announce her resignation at a press conference Tuesday morning.” The mayor has begun calling close advisers to inform them of it, according to multiple sources. The resignation comes amid an investigation of an affair with her former bodyguard Metro police Sgt. Robert Forrest. The resignation means that Vice Mayor David Briley will become acting mayor. This report comes less than 24 hours after The Tennessee Star reported that “On Monday embattled Nashville Mayor Megan Barry called a report by WTN’s Brian Wilson that sources say the mayor and her bodyguard boyfriend Sgt. Rob. Forrest visited Mt. Olivet Cemetery at sunset on several occasions over a six month period “false and slanderous.” The Star has asked Mayor’s Office spokesperson Sean Braisted for comment, but has not yet received a response. Metro Councilman Steve Glover, however, did respond to an inquiry from The Star. “That is my understanding,” Glover told The Star when asked if he can confirm or deny whether Mayor Barry is…

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Early Voting Numbers in the 14th District State Senate Special Election Concern Republicans

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Early voting in the March 13 Special Election in the 14th Senatorial District to fill the vacancy created when State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) resigned to accept an appointment from the Trump Administration continues at a slow pace. Through Friday, March 2, 2018 only 4,211 votes had been cast. Early voting in Bedford, Moore, Rutherford, Lincoln, and Marshall counties continues through Thursday, March 8. The Special Election pits Republican nominee Shane Reeves against Democrat Gayle Jordan. Reeves won the nomination by a two to one margin over fellow Republican Joe Carr in January. Jordan was unopposed in the Democratic Party primary. Republican supporters of Reeves have expressed concern over the low turnout, particularly in the wake of the 17th Senatorial District Special Election last year. In that election Republican Mark Pody narrowly defeated his Democrat challenger by about 300 votes in a heavily Republican District that included Wilson, Cannon, DeKalb, Smith, Clay and Macon counties. Pody, a state representative, had 5,990 total votes while Democrat Mary Alice Carfi received 5,682 votes. “Republicans nearly lost the seat Sen. Mae Beavers vacated; the Pody margin was seen as a ‘wake up call’ for Republicans to focus on voter turnout in this election…

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U.S. Doctors Who Cut Open Seal Created by Female Genital Mutilation In Pregnant Refugees Then Resew and Close the Opening After Birth May Be at Legal Risk

Chris Alto

A detailed story about pregnant African refugees in Minnesota who were genitally mutilated before arriving in the U.S. has raised possible legal implications for obstetricians and mid-wives who first “deinfibulate” or cut open the seal created by the genital mutilation, but then resew the opening closed, or “reinfibulate” the woman after a baby is born. The question confronting these healthcare providers, is whether they are complicit in violating laws prohibiting all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) when, for non-medical reasons, they “reinfibulate” in order to accommodate religious or cultural practices or even personal preferences. FGM or FGM/C the more culturally sensitive term “female genital cutting or circumcision,” is a practice that “comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” Critics of the term “female circumcision” say this is an effort by multicultural feminists to normalize immigrant cultural practices that are banned in the U.S. Infibulation typically refers to Type III FGM in women who have had most of the external female genitalia removed and what is left is sewn closed leaving only a small opening. The American College of Nurse-Midwives considers reinfibulation…

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Bill To Be Heard In House Subcommittee Tuesday Would Make It A Felony For Local Elected Officials To Vote In Conflict With State Or Federal Laws On Immigration Or Historical Memorials

Laura Baigert

A bill scheduled to be heard in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Tuesday would make it a felony for a member of a local governmental body to vote in conflict with state or federal laws on immigration or historical memorials. House Bill 2552 sponsored by Representative Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) creates a Class E felony when an ordinance or resolution that expressly conflicts with state or federal law relative to immigration or historical memorials is knowingly voted on by a member of a city or county legislative body. The crime would be punishable by fine only. However, as with all felony convictions by a public official, the violator would be subject to removal from office. If passed, this bill would directly combat the issue of rogue local governments that seek to create sanctuary cities or removing historical monuments as has been seen in the cities of Nashville and Memphis over the past year. Regarding the bill, Rep. White told The Tennessee Star, “The simple fact is, in America, no one should be able to openly disregard our laws without consequences.”   Elaborating on recent events within the state of Tennessee, Rep. White continued, If a local official violates our laws against…

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Diane Black Details Plans to Expand Higher Education Alternatives with Career and Technical College Programs

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Diane Black released her comprehensive plan to build on Tennessee’s success and make the state’s education system the best in the country, noting that, “Every Tennessean deserves the right to live their version of the American Dream.” The gubernatorial front-runner said in a statement, “That starts with a good education. But not every student’s dream means a 4-year degree. We need to rethink our education system. A top down approach to education doesn’t work. We need to take a bottom up approach that addresses the individual needs of every Tennessee student.” The Black campaign released an outline of the plan centered around supporting students who want to pursue interests in fields of study not offered by a traditional four-year college program, reprinted here in full: Prepare Students for Good Jobs: Schools should prepare children to follow their dreams.  We want our young people to go to college.  But what about students who want to start a career when they graduate from high school? Students who graduate from Career and Technical Education programs earn more at the outset of their careers and have little or no debt compared to students graduating from four-year universities. We should incorporate aptitude testing in the middle school years…

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Uncertain Future for Illegal ‘Dreamer’ Immigrants as ‘Deadline’ Passes

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The hopes of hundreds of thousands of “Dreamers” were on hold Monday as lawmakers missed an initial deadline for resolving the fate of immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that shields nearly 700,000 of the immigrants from deportation was supposed to expire on March 5, six months after President Donald Trump announced he was ending it.

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Supreme Court to Hear Case Challenging Sex Offender Registry Requirements

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U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a case involving a man who says he shouldn’t have to be on the sex offender registry because his conviction came before the 2006 federal mandatory listing law was enacted. Congress, in writing the law, gave the attorney general the authority to decide when the registration requirements kicked in, and the Bush administration said it should apply to all sex offenders – including those whose convictions predated enactment.

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Congressional Hopeful Bob Corlew Affirms His Commitment to Trump Agenda in Second Television Ad

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Former judge and current Congressional candidate Bob Corlew once again affirmed his commitment to support the ambitious Trump Agenda as he announced his second television commercial, set to debut Tuesday. The 30-second spot, he told supporters in a sneak-peek email, is titled “Opportunity” and it is based on what he has heard from constituents as he crisscrossed the district over the past month since announcing he candidacy: It has been one month since we announced our campaign and in that time, I have traveled from Pleasant View, to Hendersonville, to Manchester, to Cookeville, and everywhere in between I have had the awesome honor to be in the company of fellow Tennesseans who make Tennessee the best place to live, and to listen to their concerns, their dreams and what they want from their next Congressman. That’s why today, I released “Opportunity” to share what I have heard from Tennesseans during my travels. There is no question that folks here in Tennessee believe that President Trump is leading us in the right direction, but they want their representatives in Washington who care about our country and will support President Trump’s agenda. That’s why I want to go to Congress to stand with President Trump to build…

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Justice Alito Exposes the Hypocrisy of Liberal Double-Standards for All to See

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by Joe Carter   You probably haven’t even heard about it, but  there was an exchange in the Supreme Court that future generations will regard as one of the most significant revelations of our political era. The case of Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky concerns a Minnesota statute that broadly bans all political apparel at the polling place. When Andrew Cilek went to vote in 2010, he wore a shirt bearing the image of the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag and a button that read “Please I.D. Me.” The poll worker asked him to remove the shirt and button because it supposedly violated the state law. Cilek filed a lawsuit opposing the regulation as an infringement on his First Amendment right to political expression. He also noted that the standard for what is acceptable is arbitrary and the enforcement itself could be politicized since the polling workers are chosen by local political parties. In the oral arguments, Justice Alito agreed that the law does seem arbitrary and observed that “so many things have political connotations, and the connotations are in the eye of the beholder.” How could any poll worker, he asked, be even-handed in enforcing the regulation? Daniel Rogan,…

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Commentary: If Congress Is Really Concerned About ‘Foreign Meddling,’ Get Illegal Immigrants Off the Voter Rolls

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By Printus LeBlanc   Multiple congressional committees and a Special Counsel have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to investigate foreign interference in the 2016 election and have come up with some memes from Russia. Meanwhile, recent reports from several states indicate there is real foreign influence in U.S. elections being ignored by Congress and the Special Counsel. Voter fraud is a far more significant threat to our democracy than $300 in Facebook ads for Pennsylvania, and it is time for Congress, the Department of Justice, and the Special Counsel to go after the real foreign influence. On Monday, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PLIF) filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania officials for failing to comply with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The PLIF is seeking records related to registered voters for inspection, which the NVRA makes legal. The foundation is seeking the information to ensure the Pennsylvania voter rolls are clean and have good reason to think otherwise. In December, Philadelphia Election Commissioner Al Schmidt told state lawmakers there was a glitch in the state’s motor voter system. Schmidt also told the lawmakers that after the Pennsylvania Department of State completed the Noncitizen Matching Analysis more than 100,000 driver’s license numbers associated with noncitizens…

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