Mr. Pinkston, Please Don't Let William Cotton Embarrass Us Again

  • Friday, September 30, 2016

Mr. Pinkston, please do the job you were elected to do. I called your office after reading a troubling article in the Chattanoogan about William Cotton. Apparently he wants to run for political office again. I got a call back from Shelly in your office today. She was really nice and apologized for you not calling me back personally. I chuckled and said a call from you wasn't necessary. She then mentioned how you had been really busy dealing with that gangs. I told her that I completely understood.

However, what I didn't understand was what she told me after that. She mentioned how well versed with the law you were and that there was nothing you could do to prevent William Cotton, a convicted public official, from running for office again. Then she seemed to confuse voting rights and the ability to run for elected office. I cited several times the Tennessee Code Annotated "forever disqualifying" him. The law went into effect Feb 15, 2016. He was convicted in May that same year, so the statute does apply to him. 

In all fairness, perhaps your don't recall what a public embarrassment the Tennessee Waltz was. Or perhaps you don't comprehend because of your busy schedule just how embarrassing it would be for you to allow the law to be circumvented.  Perhaps you're just don't want to battle Hank Hill who has embarrassed many of your predecessors in court?  If you're not too busy, perhaps you can read the law itself.

Now, I'm no lawyer, but this appears pretty cut and dry to me. William Cotton was "found guilty of bribery conspiracy and one count of attempted bribery. He was ruled not guilty on a second count of attempted bribery." 

TCA 39-16-103: Public servant guilty of bribery offense disqualified from holding office.
(a)  Every person who is convicted under § 39-16-102 of accepting or receiving any gift, promise, benefit, or gratuity, as an executive, legislative, or judicial officer, shall forever afterwards be disqualified from holding any office under the laws or constitution of this state.
(b)  Any person who is convicted after February 15, 2006, of an offense in another state or under federal law that would constitute a violation of § 39-16-102 if committed in this state shall be, from the date of such conviction, forever disqualified from holding any office under the laws or constitution of this state.
(c)  If at the time of conviction for an offense specified in this section, the person still holds an office under the laws or constitution of this state, the provisions of this section shall apply to such person at the end of the person's term of office, unless otherwise removed or expelled as provided by law prior to that time. 

James Berry

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