KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A veteran judge has been tapped to preside over the cases of 11 men accused of taking part in a sweeping conspiracy to illegally spend department drug money and abuse the staff time of Knox County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
Senior Judge Don R. Ash will hear the case in Knox County, according to an order signed May 22 by Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins.
The move was expected. Practically all Knox County judicial personnel know at least some of the defendants, creating the potential for at least the appearance of a conflict of interest…