KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A juvenile judge and family services supervisor in Knox County have been sued over claims that they violated the rights of parents during custody proceedings. The former magistrate judge who filed the suit also alleges she was discriminated against and fired for trying to protect the people’s constitutional rights.
Knox County Juvenile Judge Tim Irwin and Family Services Supervisor Stacey Turpin are named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by former juvenile magistrate judge Robin Gunn.
Irwin and Turpin allegedly violated constitutional protections under the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions, including due process and the right to counsel, through unwritten court policies in dependency and neglect cases. Gunn claims these policies prioritized administrative convenience and law enforcement preferences over parents’ rights.
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Gunn’s lawsuit states they intentionally disadvantaged parents facing the removal of their children by the Department of Child Services. She claims the court would purposely delay notice that parents could have legal counsel appointed, refuse attorneys access to critical information in court files, and release confidential court records to investigators for prosecution, among other unwritten policies…