On September 16, 2025, I was denied access to the Smith County Courthouse due to the Judge’s Administrative Court Order banning: Cellphones, Bags, Electronic Devices or Anything that could conceal a weapon or explosive device.
This administrative order ONLY applies to the general public and not to any courthouse staff, law enforcement officers, judges or jurors.
I am a person with a qualitied disability as well as my child. I require a electronic device due to my disability, I am also required to carry my cellphone due to monitoring my child’s medical condition. I also carry her medication bag due to it having temperature sensitive medications in it. I showed the sheriff’s deputy at the entrance of the courthouse the app that allows me to monitor my child’s medical condition along with the medication that was captained inside the medical bag. I was still denied entry to the courthouse where I was to attend a court case in the general sessions court.
No offers or attempts were made for accommodations due to our disabilities.
I had to appear in the general sessions court again on December 16, 2025. I had already filled out an ADA request for accommodations prior to the hearing, when I got to the courthouse again, I was denied access once again. I told the deputy that I had filled out the paperwork for accommodations and to check with the ADA coordinator. He flat out refused.
After this last incident I notified the County Sheriff, Mayor, Attorney, Clerk of Courts and the ADA coordinator about the issues that I was having due to this judge’s administrative order. Nothing was done so I sent a Formal Notice of the issues and the ADA violations. I received NO response. I then sent a Final Notice to each of them, again NO response. Weeks later after putting in Records requests under the TPRA, I received an email response from the county attorney stating that he had received the notices and that they were waiting for outside council to advise them as to what the county should do.
The records requests did revel several issues with the sheriff’s department and the judicial system. I had put a complaint in on the deputy and his supervisor, but the request stated that there were no complaints made against either deputy (Strange). I had also put in a complaint against the general session’s administrative assistant; I have not received any information from the judge about her complaints.
So, after seven months of trying to get this issue corrected, I was left with no choice but to file send a complaint to the Department of Justice and the Administration of Courts for Tennessee asking for them to investigate the Smith County court system and sheriff’s department.
After that I filled the following lawsuits: Federal case against the Smith County government, the mayor, sheriff, ADA coordinator and both deputies all in their official capacity for violating well established federal and constructional law. Federal case against the mayor, sheriff, ADA coordinator and both deputies in their individual capacity for violating federal and constructional law after being notified that they were breaking the law. A case against the State of Tennessee because the Administration Office of Courts were notified of these issues and violations. A case through the Circuit Court of Smith County against Smith County, Tennessee for the violations under state disability law.
Maybe when this is all over the Judicial System and Law Enforcement will do their jobs better and take the complaints of the citizens seriously and stand up for the citizens against higher authority. They all need to remember that they took an Othe of Office to uphold Federal and State law, not to a judge that should have known better that to put out a administrative order that violates the citizens civil rights, and treats the citizens like second class citizens.
Smith County, Tennessee Government Accountability 