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Troubled Clerk Faces Contempt Of Court Charges
Complaints Against Juvenile Clerk's Office Date Back 2 Years
POSTED: 4:40 pm CDT August 30,
2007
UPDATED: 12:52 pm CDT September 15,
2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The problems for Juvenile Court Clerk Vic Lineweaver could be just beginning.
Video: Court Clerk Must Find 100 Files By FridayAfter being arrested on Wednesday for failing to produce files for a trio of judges, Lineweaver must now hand over more than 100 additional files by the end of business hours on Friday.If he doesn’t produce the documents, it is possible that a judge may hold him in contempt of court again.
The I-team's Jeremy Finley has been looking into complaints against the clerk and found more problems associated with Lineweaver.Channel 4 News found that there are complaints about the juvenile clerk's office that started two years ago.One day after being led out of court in handcuffs, Lineweaver met with the media Thursday to give an apology to the public.Lineweaver said he'll keep better track of files now that he is facing allegations of missing files and mismanagement."It is going to be a whole lot more stringent and strict on how the files are moved out of this office," he said.The Channel 4 I-team has discovered that some files have been missing for years.An audit of the juvenile clerk's office released last year found missing pleadings in case files, incorrect schedules for dockets and missing paperwork for cases.The I-Team also found court cases that read the juvenile court has been unable to find an order.Some parents, like Marcie Sweet, went to look at paperwork on her son's case and found it was missing from the clerk’s office."It's very frustrating, but it's not just my case. I know other people that it's happened to," said Sweet.On Thursday, Lineweaver avoided questions associated with problems such as Sweet's, and if he had located the more than 100 files due to judges by Friday. He said he'll answer those questions later. Lineweaver said he had bee advised not to address them but wouldn't say by whom.The parents and families impacted by all this wonder who is really to blame for the problems."I think Vic Lineweaver is the scapegoat here just from my personal feeling from it. I think it goes to the top of the court," said Sweet.He has until 4:30 p.m. Friday to produce roughly 120 files of dormant cases that the judges want taken care of or he’s risk being held in contempt of court.How does Lineweaver respond to past audits that first raised these problems?He's said they've made some changes and are making more, including forming a file committee. A spokesman for the court said they haven't seen any improvements.
Previous Stories:
- August 29, 2007: Elected Official Charged With Contempt
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