Latest news with #GeneralSessionsCourt
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘She is harassing me': Parents of missing Sumner County teen testify against YouTuber covering the case
SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The family of missing Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers made their case Wednesday afternoon against a YouTuber who is covering the case. They claim 'Bullhorn Betty' stalked and harassed their family despite orders of protection. Sebastian Rogers' case gained national attention from news outlets and social media users after he went missing in February last year. YouTuber Andra Griffin, also known as 'Bullhorn Betty,' was one of those social media users. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → Sebastian's mom and step-grandparents claim that since then, Griffin has stalked and harassed them. But threats put the court hearing on pause. 'This court has received threats as a result of granting this order of protection, in which those are under investigation for threats made against the bench,' General Sessions Court Judge Ron Blanton explained. 'For those reasons alone, I will recuse myself.' The hearing was passed on to a different judge overseeing the alleged stalking and harassment case. For about an hour on Wednesday, Katie and Christopher Proudfoot, the mom and stepfather to Sebastian, testified against Griffin, claiming she violated the terms of three orders of protection. Court documents state Griffin has six violations related to the protection orders. 'After this case is said and done, I will be going after the Proudfoots and the Bowersox for damages,' Griffin said in her YouTube video. They alleged that Griffin went live on YouTube in August to talk about the family and included their full names in hashtags. 'Are you tagged in this video?' Assistant District Attorney General representing Proudfoots, Eric Mauldin, asked. 'I am,' Katie responded. 'Is your full name tagged in this video?' Mauldin continued. 'It is,' Katie confirmed. '[Griffin] is reporting a bunch of lies,' Christopher expressed. 'She is harassing me, harassing my family.' Attorneys for both sides argued about intentions and what is included in the First Amendment. 'If she didn't intend for Chris Proudfoot to view the video, why would she hashtag Chris Proudfoot?' Mauldin said. 'If she didn't intend for Katie to see the video, why hashtag Katie?' ⏩ 'This is first amendment protected speech,' Attorney representing Griffin, Nick Schulenberg, said. 'There has to be some action by Ms. Griffin to direct that to the petitioners, and the statute clearly says it's only a violation if the defendant knowingly does that.' This case was bound over to a grand jury. The order of protection is still in place for all parties, and the judge ruled that she can say the Proudfoots' names in her coverage but will face consequences if she steps over the line of protected speech. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Former Nashville police official dies in custody on homicide charges while awaiting hearing
An elderly former Nashville assistant police chief died Feb. 20 while awaiting a court hearing on homicide charges, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office announced. The former Metro Nashville assistant police chief, 87-year-old John Sorace, had faced reckless homicide charges accusing him of shooting and killing his wife Feb. 9 at their home near Murfreesboro, court records show. Deputies booked Sorace at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $700,000 bond, sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni previously confirmed. Sorace died after a 13-day hospital stay for a pre-existing illness, according to the press release from sheriff's spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni. Sheriff's Jail Administrator Kevin Henderson said Sorace was admitted to the hospital for medical issues Feb. 7, according to the press release. 'He was in custody at the hospital,' Henderson said in the press release. 'A deputy was there the entire time.' Incarceration: Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh hires Kevin Henderson as deputy chief over Rutherford County jail Chief Deputy Keith Lowery said the Sorace family was notified and asked for palliative care, according to the press release. District Attorney Jennings Jones said the case would be closed because of Sorace's death, the press release added. A criminal hearing had been reset for Sorace as part of an 8:31 a.m. March 17 docket in General Sessions Court before Judge Lisa Eischeid at the Rutherford County Judicial Center in downtown Murfreesboro, online Rutherford Circuit Court records show. Sorace had representation by a public defender, according to the court records. Court records list the victim's name as Sharon Sorace. "The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the neck," states a case warrant filed Jan. 13 through General Sessions Court by Rutherford County Sheriff's Detective Christian Wrather. Homicide: Warrant shows ex-Nashville assistant police chief charged in wife's shooting death Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@ To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Former Nashville police official dies in custody on homicide charges
