Left-wing activist and Vanderbilt Divinity School student Justin Jones still has another court date pending, this time for allegedly throwing coffee at Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada last month.
The beverage Jones allegedly threw also hit State Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, while all three were at the state capitol in Nashville.
As The Tennessee Star reported, authorities banned Jones from the state capitol and from having further contact with Casada because of that alleged incident.
Steve Hayslip, spokesman for Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said Jones’ next court date for that alleged incident is scheduled for June 11.
“That’s his next court date,” Hayslip said in an emailed statement.
“All other conditions of the bond remain in place (avoid Casada, the Capitol, etc).”
Meanwhile, Nicholas Kiefer, courts director for Nashville’s Office of the Criminal Court Clerk, said the case is scheduled for 9 a.m.
As The Star reported last week, Jones won’t face any consequences for allegedly disrupting a Marsha Blackburn rally in Nashville last fall.
Judge Dianne Turner, a Democrat, dismissed Jones’ case in that matter in what Kiefer said was “a flat dismissal.”
Turner dismissed Jones’ case based on a discrepancy in the documents between the date of his arrest and the date of his subsequent warrant.
Turner determined that the paperwork error justified dismissal of the criminal trespass and resisting arrest charges.
The criminal warrant issued against Jones three days after his initial arrest contained the date that the warrant was issued rather than the date of the initial arrest, causing Judge Turner to determine that the warrant was flawed and that the DA would have to proceed to the Grand Jury to pursue the charges against Jones.
As The Star reported last fall, Jones’ own words in 2016 contradict his many claims he engages only in peaceful political protest.
Jones accepted an American Civil Liberties Union award in November 2016.
According to video of the event, which Jones’ grandmother posted on her personal Facebook page, Jones called upon young people to fight for liberty and justice.
“Young people and those who are young at heart, we have five words for you,” Jones said as he accepted the award.
“See you in the streets. We will disrupt. We will organize. We will shut down injustice. Know we will not normalize hatred in this country.”
Nashville Police arrested Jones in August 2017 during a vigil at Bicentennial Park to honor people killed during the Charlottesville “United the Right” rally, according to Patch.com.
Four people, including Jones, left the park and marched to the nearby First Tennessee Park, home of the Nashville Sounds, the website went on to say.
Jones and the other three people tried to enter the park after a game ended, even though cops warned them not to. One of Jones’ companions reportedly resisted arrest. That suspect reportedly had marijuana, a grinder, and a small pipe in her purse. Another of Jones’ three friends purposefully tripped a police officer and later resisted arrest, the website said.
The website went on to say Jones “was told by police not to jump in front of moving marked police cars.”
Quoting from Jones’ arrest report, the website said he “then jumped in front of a moving patrol car causing a danger to himself and the action served no legitimate purpose.”
As The Tennessee Ledger reported in a glowing piece, Jones grew up in Oakland, Calif. a city well known for producing far-left fringe protestors.
Jones came to Nashville after receiving an endowed scholarship to study social justice and activism at Fisk University, The Ledger reported.
In February 2017, The Star reported Jones was among several local left-wing activists who harassed and intimidated State Sen. Mae Beavers and her staff at their offices at the State Capitol in Nashville.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Glen Casada” by Glen Casada. Background Photo “Justin Jones” by Justin Jones.
[…] As The Tennessee Star reported, Jones allegedly aimed a beverage at outgoing Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada — but he instead allegedly hit State Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington. […]
[…] Tennessee Star has reported on Justin Jones, who allegedly threw coffee at Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen […]
There’s some kind of “privilege” going on here.