(Nashville, TN)-In honor and memory of Nashvillians whose lives have been impacted by crime, the Davidson County Crime Victims’ Rights Week ceremony will be held on April 10, 2016 at Centennial Park. The event is an opportunity for victims and their families to show unity and empowerment. The theme of this year’s observance is, Serving Victims Building Trust Restoring Hope. Families who have lost loved ones to homicide will be able to place a photo on the homicide memory board which will be on display at the downtown library April 8-17, 2016.

 WHAT:         Crime Victims’ Right Week

WHEN:          Sunday, April 10, 2016

                       2:00pm

WHERE:       Centennial Park (covered pavilion close to Park Plaza)

                       2500 West End Avenue

                       Nashville, TN 37203

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 10-16, 2016. The Nashville ceremony will include testimony from survivors who will share their stories with others impacted by crime. The event is sponsored by several Nashville nonprofit and government agencies.

*Ceremony will close with a balloon release at the Children’s Memorial Garden across from the Parthenon. Balloons will be provided.

Crime Victims’ Rights Week

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 22, 2016

(Nashville, TN)-A man convicted of raping a six-year-old Nashville girl has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for a crime that underscored the importance of parents communicating with their children. Brandon Clymer, 31, was sentenced on February 17, 2016 to twenty-six (26) years in prison after a Davidson County jury found him guilty of Rape of a Child.  Assistant District Attorney Chad Butler said the victim reported the crime to her mother as soon as it happened and was able to give a detailed description, which assisted in the prosecution.  “Because the little girl’s mother talked to her at an early age about her body, inappropriate touching and abuse, she knew that the defendant’s actions were wrong and should be reported,” Butler said.  As part of his sentence, Clymer will be on community supervision for life and will be listed on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry.

“This case serves as a reminder to parents to talk to their children about sexual abuse and assure them it is okay to report it, Butler said.” According to the Nashville Sexual Assault Center, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys is sexually abused before his or her 18^th birthday and most victims know their perpetrator. Clymer had been considered a family friend.

For information on preventing child sexual abuse visit: www.sacenter.org/home  or call the 24 hour crisis and support line at 1-800-879-1999.

Child rape sentencing-Clymer

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February 17, 2016

(Nashville, TN)- District Attorney Glenn Funk has announced the appointments of two assistants to top leadership positions within the DA’s Office. Assistant District Attorneys Roger Moore and Amy Hunter have been named Deputy District Attorneys. Both Moore and Hunter are respected lawyers with histories of prosecuting complex criminal cases in Davidson County.

General Roger Moore first joined the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office in July, 1990.  He has served as senior assistant district attorney and team leader of Criminal Court Division V since 1996.  General Moore earned his Juris Doctor in 1977 at the University of Tennessee College of Law.  A Nashville native, General Moore’s legal career began as an Instructor of Law and staff attorney at the University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic. He was then in private practice in Knoxville and Jackson prior to serving as an assistant district attorney in Jackson, Tennessee from 1982 to 1990.  He has been involved in a number of major criminal trials in Nashville including State vs. Paul Dennis Reid, State vs. Jason Burdick, State vs. Corey Radley and most recently as one of the prosecutors in the trial of Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey. “In sharing the vision of General Glenn Funk, my focus as Deputy DA will be to ensure victim-centered prosecution while recognizing the impact of mental health and poverty issues on the criminal justice system,” General Moore said.

General Amy Hunter joined the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office in 2002 and currently serves as team leader of Criminal Court Division II. General Hunter is a graduate of Baylor University and earned a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in 1997.  Prior to joining the DA’s Office, General Hunter served in the McLennan County, Texas District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2002.  A native of Houston, Texas, General Hunter has led more than 100 jury trials, which involved offenses ranging from 1^st degree murder to theft.  She was one of the lead prosecutor in State vs. Deon Cartmell, State vs. Jason Bobo, and the theft case of State vs. Perry March. “Helping victims navigate a difficult process and seek closure on their cases is an important component of leadership in this office. I am honored and inspired by this opportunity,” General Hunter said.

Current Deputy District Attorney Tom Thurman will continue in his position. General Thurman, one of the most respected prosecutors in the state, announced plans last year to retire from the DA’s Office sometime in 2016. Deputy Thurman has played a pivotal role in every major prosecution in Nashville over the last thirty years.  “Tom Thurman’s name is synonymous with justice and victims’ rights,” District Attorney Glenn Funk said. “Tom is a brilliant trial attorney and trusted adviser.  Nashville is a better, safer community thanks to his efforts. I expect General Thurman will continue to contribute to the office for a long time.”

These are the first Deputy DA appointments since 1989 when Tom Thurman and Cheryl Blackburn were named to the post by then District Attorney Torry Johnson. Cheryl Blackburn was appointed to the bench in 1996 and has served as judge in Criminal Court Division III since that time. General Hunter becomes only the second woman to serve in this position.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 28, 2016

Guilty Verdict in Drug Trafficking Case

(Nashville, TN)—A man accused of bringing large amounts of cocaine into Nashville from California has been found guilty of the crime by Davidson County jury.  Cesar Israel Parra-Baez, 41, was found guilty on five of six counts of conspiracy to deliver over 300 grams of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver and money laundering after a three-day trial this week.  Assistant District Attorney Ed Ryan called Parra-Baez one of the main suppliers of cocaine brought in to Nashville from California. Twenty-four (24) other co-defendants in the case previously pled guilty.

Parra-Baez has an immigration hold on him and faces possible deportation after serving his sentence. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 9 in Division VI Criminal Court.  Parra-Baez faces up to 99 years in prison.

Drug Trafficking guilty verdict

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January 26, 2016

Human Trafficking Intervention Court Announced

(Nashville, TN)—Nashville is set to launch the first of its kind court in Tennessee aimed at addressing the issue of human trafficking. Mayor Megan Barry joined Judge Casey Moreland, District Attorney Glenn Funk and others in announcing the launch of a Human Trafficking Intervention Court in Davidson County.

“Nashville is a compassionate city with a long history of assisting some of our most vulnerable citizens in turning their lives around,” Mayor Barry said. “Human trafficking and prostitution can have a devastating effect on those forced into illegal conduct. This collaborative effort will aid the court system in solving a vast and critical problem.”

The effort will be the first of its kind in the State of Tennessee and the Southeast. Similar courts are already operating in New York and Chicago.

“As we have done so often in the past with drug courts and mental health courts, this new initiative will assist the Davidson County court system with identifying victims and connecting them with services,” Judge Moreland said. “Human trafficking is a crime that inflicts terrible harm on the most vulnerable members of society including children, runaways, immigrants and the poor. When these victims arrive in our courts, even as defendants in criminal cases, it gives us an opportunity to work together to stop this criminal enterprise.”

“Through the combined efforts of the judiciary, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, treatment providers, and others, this court will work to restore those impacted by trafficking and prostitution to safe, law-abiding lives,” District Attorney Funk said. “The aim is make Nashville a safer place for everyone.”

While it is difficult to measure precisely a practice that exists largely in the shadows, we do know that there are approximately 27 million victims of human trafficking in the United States, according to a recent State Department estimate. The TBI estimates there were well over 100 reported cases of minors being trafficked for sex in Nashville in 2014 and a much greater number of adult victims being trafficked that same year.

According to Assistant DA Tammy Meade, who heads the DA’s Grace Empowered prostitution intervention program, “Many more victims continue to go uncounted because they are often driven to the margins of our community.”
Upon completion of the court’s three-phase program, which includes drug treatment and counseling, participants will have their cases dismissed and expunged. Several nonprofit organizations including End Slavery Tennessee, the Sexual Assault Center, The Next Door, Inc. and Thistle Farms will assist the court in providing aftercare.

“The human trafficking court indicates a vital shift, treating victims as victims rather than criminals,” according to Derri Smith, Executive Director of End Slavery Tennessee.

The Davidson County Human Trafficking Intervention Court will begin on February 9, 2016.

Human Trafficking-news release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  January 25, 2016

 MEDIA ADVISORY

Human Trafficking Intervention Court Announced for Nashville

(Nashville, TN)—Nashville is prepared to launch the first of its kind initiative in Tennessee to address the issues of trafficking and prostitution in our city.  Mayor Megan Barry will join Judge Casey Moreland, District Attorney Glenn Funk, Assistant DAs Tammy Meade, Deb Smith and representatives from End Slavery Tennessee to announce a new Human Trafficking Intervention Court in Davidson County. Through the combined efforts of the judiciary, prosecutors, law enforcement, treatment providers, and others, human trafficking court will work to identify trafficking victims, refer them to services, and restore them to safe, law-abiding lives.

WHAT:       Davidson County Human Trafficking Court Announcement

WHEN:       Tuesday, January 26, 2016 2:00pm

WHERE:    Justice A. A. Birch Building 408 2nd Ave. North General Sessions Courtroom 4D

The Nashville Human Trafficking Intervention Court is scheduled to begin in February, 2016.

Human Trafficking-media advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 10, 2016

(Nashville, TN)  A Davidson County jury has found a Nashville man guilty of kidnapping, rape and robbery in a case described by the assistant district attorney as horrific.  Peterpal Tutlam, 31, was convicted Friday of attacking two men outside a south Nashville apartment complex in 2012.  The victims were beaten, stabbed repeatedly, robbed and forced to perform sex acts on each other by Tutlam and three other armed men.   Assistant District Attorney Megan King said the defendants were looking for someone to rob and had been casing the apartment complex when they came upon the victims.  “It took so much strength and courage for the victims to face the man who did this to them and to testify about the horrendous things they were put through,” King said.  “This was a random, callous act against innocent victims who were on their way to work when they were subjected to a violent and horrific attack by a group of men who should not be on the streets of Nashville,” Assistant DA Doug Thurman said.

Peterpal Tutlam will be sentenced on February 24. He faces 15-to-25 years on each of the six counts against him.  His three co-defendants in the case previously pled guilty to the charges.

Tutlam guilty verdict

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 8, 2016

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Statement from District Attorney Funk regarding the passing of John Hollins, Sr.:

“Nashville has lost a true champion in the passing of attorney John Hollins, Sr. Mr. Hollins was a strong advocate for justice and a great example of what it means to be an attorney.  As a former assistant district attorney, trial lawyer and president of the Nashville Bar Association, John Hollins, Sr. helped to make Nashville a better city because of his commitment and dedication.  My condolences are extended to the Hollins family and the entire legal community on the loss of an extraordinary man.” Modafinil pills online http://www.modafinilpill.net/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 7, 2016

(Nashville, TN)  A six-year-old girl is being credited with helping to secure a conviction against the man who raped her.  Following three hours of deliberation, a Davidson County jury on Wednesday found Brandon Clymer, 31, guilty of Rape of a Child.  Assistant District Attorney Chad Butler said the victim reported the crime to her mother as soon as it happened and was able to give a detailed description, which assisted in the prosecution.  “Because the little girl’s mother talked to her at an early age about her body, inappropriate touching and abuse, she knew that the defendant’s actions were wrong and should be reported,” Butler said.  “This case serves as a reminder to parents to talk to their children about sexual abuse and assure them it is okay to report it.”  According to the Nashville Sexual Assault Center, national statistics show that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys is sexually abused before his or her 18^th birthday and most victims know their perpetrator.

Clymer had been considered a family friend. He faces 25 to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 17, 2016.

For information on preventing child sexual abuse visit: www.sacenter.org/home  or call the 24 hour crisis and support line at 1-800-879-1999.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 7, 2015

(Nashville, TN)— It is hard to imagine the pain of losing someone you love to a senseless murder.  For too many Nashville families that pain is especially difficult this time of year as the holiday season approaches.  In honor of victims and their families, the District Attorney’s Victim Witness division, Metro Police Victim Intervention Program and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will sponsor the 21^st annual Season to Remember ceremony at Centennial Park.  The ceremony is a time for the entire community to pause in remembrance of those whose lives were lost to homicide and the families and friends left to mourn.

 

WHAT:       Davidson County Season to Remember

WHEN:       December 10, 2015 5:45pm

WHERE:    The Children’s Garden at Centennial Park

 

 

The family and friends of homicide victims support group will gather on December 8, 2015 at 5:30pm at the North Police Precinct, 2231 26^th Avenue North, to make Christmas ornaments that will be placed on an evergreen tree during the Season to Remember ceremony. Candles will also be lit on the Menorah for Hanukkah and on the Kinara for Kwanzaa.