MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — UPDATE: Imagine the courts ordering you, or perhaps a friend, to have no contact with a previously close family member — for whatever reason. In this situation, a Murfreesboro man was ordered not to have any contact with someone in his family and was arrested for aggravated stalking on July 1, 2024. What followed appears to have grown into something much larger than the original charge.

Evidently, the suspect is believed to have returned to the alleged victim and/or contacted her in some form or fashion — not once, not twice, not three times, but 44 times. The outcome of this reported contact led to a grand jury indictment, with Justin Dickey being charged with one count of aggravated stalking and 44 counts of violating an order of protection. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Dickey was arrested this past February and has remained behind bars since his arrest.

In court, Dickey made his appearance for arraignment this past August. During that hearing, Dickey learned the magnitude of what he was being charged with. The first charge of aggravated stalking is a Class E felony, while the 44 counts of violating a court order of protection are each listed as Class A misdemeanors.

WGNS first reported the news story on Monday, the day Dickey was scheduled to appear in court. However, that appearance never occurred, and the court granted a continuance in the case, followed by the scheduling of a new plea hearing date, a pretrial date, and a date for him to appear in court for a full trial. That trial has been set for August 3.

Courts in Murfreesboro take violations of specific court orders very seriously. In fact, if a suspect is found guilty of violating an order of protection in Tennessee, they could face severe consequences, as each count represents a separate criminal offense.

Authorities say the charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred around July 1, 2024. Investigators say the accusations involve repeated contact or actions that violated a previously issued court order designed to protect the alleged victim.

The defendant reportedly has a lengthy criminal history that predates the current case. Previous arrests are tied to offenses such as DUI, burglary, cruelty to animals, probation violations, harassment, and aggravated stalking, according to court documentation.

Under Tennessee law, the 44 counts related to violating an order of protection fall under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-113. Each violation can carry penalties of up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, along with fines if convicted. Those fines, if imposed for each count, could total more than $100,000.

The aggravated stalking charge is the more serious of the charges Dickey is facing. According to state law, a conviction for aggravated stalking can carry a sentence ranging from one to six years in prison, depending on the defendant’s criminal history and the circumstances of the case.

If found guilty on all counts and sentenced to the maximum penalty, the man could be ordered to spend what amounts to the rest of his life in prison — roughly 49 to 50 years.

Court records indicate that the defendant remains behind bars at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center as the case proceeds through the judicial system.

The charges and allegations in the case are accusations only. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.