SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – Former Fourth Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn is preparing to be arraigned on a series of charges connected to allegations that he improperly used his office to orchestrate an unlawful arrest in Sevier County.
Dunn, who served as the elected prosecutor for Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties, was arrested in August following a Sevier County Grand Jury presentment. The longtime prosecutor faces several criminal charges, including:
- Official Misconduct
- Official Oppression
- Retaliation for Past Action
- Coercion of a State Witness
- Civil Rights Intimidation
The charges stem from allegations involving the May 2023 arrest of Erik Cooper. According to the grand jury presentment, investigators allege Dunn and Deputy District Attorney William Brownlow Marsh knowingly used an incomplete and unauthorized arrest warrant to facilitate Cooper’s arrest after he appeared before a grand jury.
Marsh was also charged in the case and faces counts of official oppression. Prosecutors allege he obtained an incomplete warrant from a deputy clerk and provided it to Dunn despite the warrant not being fully authorized.
Because of Dunn’s position within the Fourth Judicial District, all circuit court judges and the district chancellor recused themselves from the case. The Tennessee Supreme Court subsequently appointed Robert E. Lee Davies to oversee the proceedings.
Dunn announced plans to retire earlier this year after serving more than two decades as District Attorney General. However, after his arrest, reports indicated he informed the office of Bill Lee that he no longer intended to retire.
Court proceedings will begin with an arraignment, during which Dunn is expected to formally hear the charges and enter a plea. No trial date has yet been announced.
The allegations against Dunn remain accusations. Like all defendants, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
