The psychological evaluation of former Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long will be made public, according to a ruling late Thursday.

A U.S. Magistrate Judge in Chattanooga has denied the request by former Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long to keep the contents of his recent psychological evaluation from public view.

In her order issued late yesterday, Magistrate Judge Susan Lee said she will make Mr. Long’s psychological report public in three business days.

Defense attorney Jerry Summers had argued the report should be kept private because it contains sensitive medical information.

He had also argued, however, that the psychological evaluation of Mr. Long would help U.S. District Judge Harry S. “Sandy” Mattice understand why the former sheriff “threw everything away” in favor of the criminal activity he was arrested for in February that could land him in prison for at least 10 years.

Mr. Long is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 27. Judge Mattice could elect to give him a much lighter prison term if convinced by the defense’s arguments.

The order by Judge Lee is a win for the government, which had argued the report should be made public in the interest of “transparency” and openness into the court proceedings of a former official who betrayed the public’s trust.

Mr. Long was caught on tape and video committing money laundering, extortion, drug and gun crimes with a confidential FBI informant the defense claims “manipulated” him and convinced him to do things he never would have otherwise done.

Mr. Long pleaded guilty to the 27 crimes in May.

See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for more details.

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