Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold may soon be without a $127,000 salary. The sheriff is currently jailed in Kentucky awaiting his federal court date that has been scheduled for February 7, 2017.
Davidson County Chancellor Bill Young will hold a hearing at 9:00 o'clock next Tuesday morning (11/8/2016) to determine whether Sheriff Arnold should be temporarily suspended from his job as this county's head law enforcement officer.
The 12 local residents represented by Murfreesboro attorney Michelle Blaylock-Howser want to remove Arnold from his post, noting that "he cannot do his job because he is in jail and that he is morally unfit to be sheriff".
Rutherford County judges all recused themselves from this case, so it was moved to Davidson County where Chancellor Young vowed to move the case quickly.
Sheriff Arnold's Attorney Tom Dundon attempted to delay next Tuesday's hearing because his client was incarcerated and could not attend. Davidson County Chancellor Young was firm that the hearing will go on whether Arnold appears in-person or by telephone.
Again, the hearing to temporarily suspend Robert Arnold as sheriff is set for the Davidson County Chancery Court for 9:00 o'clock next Tuesday morning.
In the meantime, Sheriff Arnold remains in Leitchfield, Kentucky's Grayson County Detention Center, where he is incarcerated separate from other inmates.
Prior to being locked-up, Arnold was free on bond in connection with the 14-count federal indictments against him in connection with the investigation into JailCigs and other improprieties allegedly involving the sheriff and two others.
However, on Wednesday, September 28, 2016, U.S. Magistrate Alistair Newbern revoked the sheriff's bond and ordered that he be placed in jail awaiting the federal court date on February 7, 2017. The judge ruled that there was "sufficient evidence" that Arnold intentionally harassed his wife, Megan Arnold, after an alleged Labor Day night assault. Judge Newbern also said that she was concerned that as long as he was in office, Arnold would continue to abuse his power.
Previous News Story on Arnold from October (Hit on Life):
Prosecutors say that Sheriff Robert Arnold made-up the story about a "hit being out for his life" in order to get his wife to work harder to get him out of the Grayson County Detention Center where a federal judge placed him after revoking his bond.
A new court filing indicates that a telephone call made to his wife on October 5th, Arnold told her a hit was out on him and that inmates there in Leitchfield, Kentucky were going to stab him in the neck.
Phone records show that the sheriff makes phone calls regularly from his cell to the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office, and he allegedly told a command staff member that the whole thing was "BS" and that he said it to motivate his wife into helping him "get the hell out" of that Kentucky jail.
A hearing has been scheduled for November 2nd for another federal judge to consider releasing Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold.
US Magistrate Judge Alistair Newbern revoked Arnold's bond Arnold on September 28th. On that date he was handcuffed in the courtroom and led away. As it stands, the sheriff will be incarcerated until his federal court trial set for February 7, 2017.
Arnold's bond was revoked after being accused of a Labor Day domestic incident with his wife. His bond revoked and he was ordered to remain jailed until his federal court date.
