One defense attorney in a downtown kidnapping case said Tuesday that his client is innocent.
Bill Speek represents Twain Jackson, 20, one of five men arrested in connection with two downtown kidnappings and a home invasion that occurred in late August.
"It's horrific that this has happened, but what is equally horrific is for an innocent person to sit in jail," Speek said outside the Hamilton County Courthouse shortly after a Tuesday hearing.
Jackson was the only one of the defendants seated in court as attorneys compared schedules on when to hold a preliminary hearing for Quintez "Tez" Bulloch, 21; Christopher Turner, 19; Jeffery McClendon Jr., 19; and Jackson.
The fifth suspect is a 17-year-old who will be tried in Juvenile Court. His name is not being released because he is a juvenile.
Police previously have released information that Jackson was not involved directly in the kidnappings but had knowledge of them.
Judge Ronald Durby set preliminary hearings for all defendants for Sept. 14.
Each defendant is represented by a different attorney, but information on the status of the juvenile was not available.
The first kidnapping took place near midnight at Second and Market streets on Aug. 25 when three men chased down Mychael Chunn, 19, forced him into the trunk of his car and drove to his Mountain Creek Road home. After stealing items from Chunn's home, the men pawned them while keeping him locked in the trunk for 10 hours before releasing him.
Chunn since has moved home, four hours away from Chattanooga, in fear of retaliation from associates of the defendants.
Police have said that all defendants have gang affiliations.
The second kidnapping took place at 200 High St. at 4:40 a.m. on Aug. 28 when Joseph Clark was rushed by a gunman and told to get on the ground. He then was forced into the trunk of his car, but was escaped 10 minutes later using an internal release hatch.
The gunman and others drove Clark's car to his apartment building and kicked in the door of a neighboring apartment, where they kicked and struck residents William Wan and Weiran Yang and ransacked their apartment, police said.