Sun
Jan 28 2007
08:02:pm
Halls Shopper Confidential
By: R. Neal  shortURL

Betty Bean has exclusive reaction from Tyler Harber (apparently no one else can get him to talk), and Sandra Clark has background on the Sheriff keeping his word and the long night for local reporters when the news broke on Friday.

It's interesting to note that while the KNS was first to file a report followed shortly by the local TV news, the little "tabloid" paper out in Halls was first to have the report online and the first to have an interview with the central figure in the controversy (who is curiously not interviewed in the Sheriff's report). Go figure.

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Bbeanster's picture

Tyler explains why he wasn't interviewed --

Submitted by Bbeanster on Sun, 2007/01/28 - 8:55pm.

He says Nichols made him a deal he couldn't take.

He wanted immunity, but Nichols held out for a "proffer," which would have required Harber to spill his guts first, then find out whether he would be subject to prosecution. Reportedly Tyler's lawyer didn't think well of it.

R. Neal's picture

Interesting. Adam Groves was

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2007/01/28 - 9:05pm.

Interesting. Adam Groves was apparently offered a similar kind of deal, according to his second interview where his lawyer present.

CL's picture

I heard that Betty's going

Submitted by CL on Sun, 2007/01/28 - 11:08pm.

I heard that Betty's going to be on Lloyd Daugherty's show The Voice at 9 in the morning. It's on 1180 am and 1120 am.

StaceyDs Cat's picture

Shopper compared to Sentinel

Submitted by StaceyDs Cat on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 9:22am.

So the Shopper gets Tyler interviewed and puts up the whole report.

The Sentinel runs a story about an interview WBIR did and puts up the summation of the report.

Sounds like Bean and Clark are eating the Sentinel's lunch.

rocketsquirrel's picture

scripps now owns the shopper

Submitted by rocketsquirrel on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 9:37am.

perhaps under the "why bother" category, perhaps the Sentinel isn't going to bother with local news anymore now that Scripps bought the shopper. Sandra, Michael care to comment? also interesting why knoxnews.com allowed comments on the teen party story last year, but doesn't provide comment sections online for stories like this.

Sandra Clark's picture

Newspapering

Submitted by Sandra Clark on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 10:23am.

Interesting. The Shopper and the Sentinel do different things.

Local news to the Shopper is about Halls or whatever community we're covering. Knox County news is the "big stuff" that is Bean's specialty. You won't see us pontificating about state or federal stuff at all.

We work to be comprehensive and "the best" at local news. We try to offer insight on the big stuff and score "scoops" whenever we can.

Bean's work with Tyler Harber has been awesome. Of course, that story is no more about a kid hacking into computers than Watergate was about some Cubans breaking into an office. The story is about abuse of power, paranoia and retaliation at the highest level of government.

Team Ragsdale's spin will be that this is yesterday's news, was never a real story and golly gee it's time to move on.

Mike Ragsdale is less fit to hold office than Richard Nixon was. At least Nixon had a foreign policy upside. -- s.

edens's picture

>The story is about abuse of

Submitted by edens on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 10:48am.

>The story is about abuse of power, paranoia and retaliation >at the highest level of government.

Highest? I dunno, compared to Watergate, Tyler's a pretty podunk "plumber." Which, frankly gets to the root of this whole story. Somebody should have sat Ragsdale down a long time ago and said "Dude, you're a county executive, not Cardinal Richelieu."

Excuse me, County Mayor...either way, lay off the Machiavelli.

Same goes for Timmy, too.

KO's picture

This doesn't have to end

Submitted by KO on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 11:03am.

This doesn't have to end here, you know. The criminal statute referenced in the Sheriff's report also has a civil remedy. Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-603, the "aggrieved person" whose emails were intercepted has two years in which to initiate a civil lawsuit and can recover $10,000 per violation (i.e., per email) plus attorney's fees. It is conceivable that all of the inconsistencies noted in the report could be the subject of detailed inquiry in depositions. If Harber were sued, he may assert that he was acting under the specific direction of others. The "others" could then be brought into the lawsuit in both their personal and official capacities. Then it could get interesting.

The clock on the statute of limitations is ticking....

http://www.herstonlaw.com/

James D.'s picture

Abuse of Power and Retaliation?

Submitted by James D. on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 1:01pm.

The story is about abuse of power, paranoia and retaliation at the highest level of government.

With all due respect Sandra, I couldn't think of any better way to describe Tim Hutchison...

R. Neal's picture

Wasn't this already covered

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 10:32am.

Wasn't this already covered here:

http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/editor/2006/09/competing_with_the_halls_sh...

Heh.

Simply Ridiculous's picture

report from Tyler

Submitted by Simply Ridiculous on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 12:07pm.

Though I don't totally disagree with the discussions, I think it is fair to say that all of you involved in local politics know that EVERY elected official has at least one - and usually more- person in their office to support their political agenda.

Tim Hutchison is as guilty of this as anyone - just ask anyone who works there; so my thinking is "don't throw stones if you live in a glass house".

A good look at who the political supporters (a.k.a. Tyler Harbers) are, at least for 4 of the offices, will be the ones who get the replacements.

Ellen Lou Severs's picture

Doing The Right Thing

Submitted by Ellen Lou Severs (not verified) on Fri, 2009/04/17 - 3:20am.

I pray, that if everybody would use the brain, that God gave them, and would do the right things, by their fellow man or woman that everybody,
would be happy and better off. I wake up in the morning and look at myself,
in the mirror. I have not took my mirror down yet.
Ellen Lou Severs Author and Artist of:
A Whisper Through Life: published by Xlibris

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