Judges Barry Steelman, Don Poole and Rebercca Stern, from left, hear a case from Jerry Summers Friday at the City-County Courts building.A seasoned local attorney has challenged how the state’s top law enforcement agency collects fees on DUI convictions, alleging bias and constitutional rights violations.
Jerry Summers argued to Hamilton County Criminal Court Judges Rebecca Stern, Don Poole and Barry Steelman on Friday that a $250 fee, what Summers calls a “bounty,” paid by defendants convicted of DUI charges, creates a “conflict of interest” because the money goes straight to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
If any of the three local Criminal Court judges who heard his case agree, it could fundamentally alter how the TBI funds its alcohol testing.
In the hearing, local prosecutor Kate Lavery called Summers’ theory a “terrible accusation” that implies forensic scientists at the TBI laboratory have intentionally falsified lab results to help the agency get the $250 fee.
Summers told the judges he would “not impugn the integrity of a statewide agency unless I’ve got proof.”