Sheriff Jones was Willing to Hire an Individual Accused of Soliciting a Witness to Lie to the FBI

Case No: 24282-CRM | State of Tennessee v. Brian Keith "Wormy" Hodge

TO: The Honorable Andrew Freiberg

Subject: Persistent Pattern of Impropriety

This letter serves as a formal demand for your voluntary recusal from Case 24282-CRM. Under the mandatory standards of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 10, Canon 2.11, your continued adjudication of this matter presents a significant conflict of interest based on the following:

1. Deep-Rooted Conflict of Interest: This Court is well aware that the Defendant, Brian Keith Hodge, is a former reserve deputy and a long-standing political operative for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) hierarchy. Mr. Hodge’s history of "dirty politics"—including his federal conviction for buying votes to secure the Sheriff’s seat for your political circle's preferred candidate—demonstrates a relationship that is neither casual nor distant.

2. Pattern of Favoritism for the Jones Family: The appearance of bias is compounded by Your Honor’s prior dismissal of felony charges against Tommy Jones Sr., the patriarch of the very administration Mr. Hodge was considered for employment as a reserve deputy and operative. The public cannot be expected to believe that a judge who cleared the legal path for the "boss" (Jones Sr.) can impartially adjudicate the "operative" (Hodge).

3. Impossible Claim of Remoteness: It is impossible for the Court to claim the relationship between Judge Freiberg and the Defendant is "too remote" for recusal. Brian Keith "Wormy" Hodge was effectively a "soldier" for the very administration (Jones/White) that Judge Freiberg has favored in the past—most notably through his dismissal of felony charges against Tommy Jones Sr.

4. Drawn Out Proceedings: The indictment for Sexual Battery (Case 24282-CRM) has been drawn out for 16 months. Maintaining this case at a standstill until the February 24, 2026 docket—and potentially beyond the May 5th Primary—serves as a de facto political favor to the MCSO, keeping the Defendant’s trial testimony out of the public record during an election cycle.

5. Public Advocacy by Sheriff Jones: In April 2017, while Brian Keith "Wormy" Hodge was under federal indictment for vote-buying, Sheriff Tommy Jones personally testified on Hodge's behalf before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley.Attempt to Subvert Firearms Ban: Sheriff Jones lobbied the federal court to lift the firearm restriction on Hodge so that he could immediately place Hodge on the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office payroll (specifically to work in the jail and operate a cruiser).

6. Judicial Rejection: The federal court denied the request, with Judge Shirley noting that the Sheriff was willing to hire an individual who was not only under indictment but accused of soliciting a witness to lie to the FBI.

7. The Conclusion: This 2017 squabble proves that Hodge is a protected asset of the Jones administration. Because Judge Freiberg has already granted the "boss" (Tommy Jones Sr.) a felony dismissal, he cannot impartially adjudicate the "soldier" (Hodge) whom the Sheriff has historically gone to great lengths to protect.