Complaint of 11 citizens calls for General Dunn suspension from office

A complaint filed in Sevier County Circuit Court on Friday calls for the suspension from office and Writ of Ouster of District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn.

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE Information Center) — A group of Sevier County residents has filed a formal ouster petition seeking the removal of Fourth Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn from office.

The petition was filed Friday in Sevier County and asks the governor to provide assistance in prosecuting the ouster proceedings.

Dunn, who has served as district attorney general since 2006, is facing multiple criminal charges following a grand jury presentment returned in August. The charges include official misconduct, official oppression, retaliation for past action against a witness, conspiracy to commit official oppression, coercion of a witness and civil rights intimidation. The charges are allegations, and Dunn is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The ouster petition is a separate civil proceeding from the criminal case. Under Tennessee law, an ouster action can be used to seek the removal of an elected public official based on alleged misconduct or neglect of duty.

Among those named in the petition is Erik Cooper, the man identified in the criminal case as the alleged target of retaliation involving Dunn and Deputy District Attorney General William Brownlow Marsh. The indictment alleges that Dunn and Marsh were involved in actions surrounding Cooper’s arrest after he appeared before a Sevier County grand jury.

Dunn had announced plans to retire after two decades as district attorney general, but following his arrest he informed the governor’s office that he no longer intended to retire. The governor’s office said there was therefore no vacancy for the governor to fill.

The petition seeks an expedited hearing and asks Dunn to respond to the ouster allegations within 20 days, according to reporting on the filing.

A Sevier County judge previously ruled Sept. 8 that Dunn remains able to prosecute cases and is recognized as the chief prosecutor for the Fourth Judicial District while the legal proceedings continue.