Tennessee’s legal system reflects the problems prevailing inside the wider criminal justice system. It’s a system where police officers get away with serious crimes because they have immunity, and prosecutors protect their success rates instead of the rights of the citizens.
After falling victim to this blatant abuse of power, a Tennessee roofer called James Kenton resolved to be the change he wanted to see in Tennessee’s legal system.
James Kenton Takes the State to Court
The prosecution dropped the fraud charges against Kenton in August 2021. By this time, the Tennessee roofer had been a suspect in the eyes of everyone for a year. It was enough time to rob the roofer of his livelihood, reputation, and industry connections.
As soon as this case closed, Kenton opened another against the state, holding it accountable for wronging him. His actions are already showing a trickle-down effect.
Calling Out Ethical Violations
Ten years ago, HuffPost wrote an article detailing how prosecutors were beyond scrutiny and accountability. Their words stood the test of time until a Tennessean (Kenton) decided to speak up about a certain prosecutor’s blatant violations.
In 2021, Kenton named Assistant District Attorney Chadwick Jackson in his civil case, accusing him of representing the complainant and conspiring with Detective William Thorowgood.
Soon after, Jackson filed additional felony charges against Kenton. Doing this while he was a defendant in the case was an ethical violation that Kenton pointed out on his social media platform.
DA Funk’s Office Under Investigation
In 2023, the crack Kenton inflicted on the DA’s office turned into a chasm. While it had nothing to do with the Tennessee roofer, it was certainly an effect of losing some credibility as an institution.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation raided the Nashville offices of District Attorney General Glenn Funk. The latter, accused of illegal wiretapping, says the eavesdropping devices were to thwart future attacks on his offices.
While the TBI has remained mum on the investigation, it has sent a message to prosecutors everywhere: You are not untouchable.
Kenton’s Latest Efforts Towards Reshaping Tennessee’s Legal System
When this blog was posted, the Tennessee roofer’s case was in pretrial discovery—he expected nothing less. The state seldom cooperates with those it serves. True to form, it disregarded Kenton’s request for discovery, adding yet another violation to its ever-lengthening list. This has led the roofer to file a motion asking the state to respond to his request.
Follow James Kenton and sign his petition if you want to reshape Tennessee’s legal system.