State Senator Randy McNally of Oak Ridge and State Representative Ryan Haynes of Knoxville say they’ll introduce legislation calling for required drug testing for all Tennessee judges.
Senator McNally announced the impending measure after meeting with Knox County Prosecutor Leland Price and the families of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. Christian and Newsom were raped, tortured and murdered in 2007 in Knoxville.
Judge Richard Baumgartner presided over the trials for the four defendants in the case, Lemaricus Davidson, LetalvisCobbins, George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman. All four were found guilty. Baumgartner later pleaded guilty to illegally taking narcotics during those trials. As a result, the four defendants were retried and reconvicted.
McNally says he’ll also introduce a bill calling for harsher punishment for ethical misconduct by officers of the court.