Court assesses costs against Judge Bell, but lacks jurisdiction to order him to finance replacement judges
Published: 10:45 PM, 09/03/2010
Last updated: 10:45 PM, 09/03/2010
Author: Gilbert Soesbee Source: The Newport Plain Talk
The Tennessee Court of the Judiciary has assessed more
than $3,700 in legal reporting costs against Cocke County General Sessions
Judge John Bell.
But the court specifically ruled that the court does not
have the jurisdiction to require Judge Bell to pay the cost of substitute
judges to hear cases during the judge's court-mandated suspension.
The Tennessee Constitution and specific provisions of
state law "do not provide the relief requested by counsel and this court
simply does not have authority to grant the request of the disciplinary
counsel," Judge Ash wrote. "For those reasons the motion to alter or
amend the judgment is hereby denied.
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