Over the past 12 years, Janie Varnell has proven to be one of the biggest allies of the Fraternal Order of Police and of Law Enforcement in our community. She has represented our FOP members in hundreds of cases over this time and has earned the respect of law enforcement officers who serve all over Hamilton County.
I have witnessed Janie’s ability to quickly gain the trust of our members when they are involved in critical incidents, subject of internal investigations, and when they have been treated illegally by their employer. This experience has prepared Janie to be the best legal representation this county has to offer to the men and women of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. No one in Hamilton County has more experience than Janie Varnell in ensuring municipal and county governments operate within the law.
Over the past 12 years, Janie has responded to approximately 25 critical incidents, including officer-involved shootings, for our members. She also represented our members in approximately 60 Internal Affairs investigations which sometimes led to complex administrative appeals before an Administrative Law Judge. She has successfully defended our members in federal court for their justified conduct approximately 10 times and has brought a large-scale plaintiff’s lawsuit and class action lawsuit against the city of Chattanooga on behalf of our members fighting for fair pay. She has handled a variety of legal issues from pension issues to worker’s compensation to discrimination based on gender.
No one is more committed to the legal defense of law enforcement officers who have done their jobs the right way than Janie Varnell. I have personally called Janie at all times of the day or night when our members have been involved in critical incidents and she has answered the call every single time. She is not afraid to hold people in power accountable to make sure her clients are treated fairly, even if it means hundreds of hours to appeal cases and set legal precedents on their behalf. I have seen Janie go toe to toe with those in power who seek to infringe on the rights of our members. She has never wavered.
Janie Varnell has earned the trust and respect of the men and women of the Fraternal Order of Police and served our membership so robustly, that it was only fair to make her an honorary member of Rock City Lodge #22. This is the only time in the history of our lodge that we have made someone, much less a defense attorney, an honorary member. While we hate to lose a great attorney and representative for our members, Hamilton County is gaining an unmatched legal talent who has always wanted to serve her community.
Chris Mullinix
President
FOP Rock City Lodge #22