According to NWTN radio, a District Attorney General Pro Tempore has been appointed to oversee an ongoing TBI investigation of a Henry County Attorney.
District Attorney General Jody Pickens with the 26th Judicial District will be in charge of the case.
According to a reliable source, the attorney under investigation is Michael Ainley who practices law in Paris.
According to papers filed in the Henry County Circuit Court, District Attorney General Matt Stowe requested the appointment of the District Attorney Pro Tempore “to be a point of contact for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, specifically ASAC Ronnie Faulkner, to discuss his investigative findings as to a member of the Henry County Bar, and further to discuss what, if any, charges are to be filed.”
An attempt was made to attain a comment from Stowe about the matter as to the charge. However, receptionist Shelia Wolff said he was on vacation.
Twenty-fourth Judicial District Presiding Judge Donald Parish has approved the appointment of Pickens. According to the radio story in a letter to Pickens filed in the local court, Judge Parish commented that he has approved the Order which General Matt Stowe submitted to him which appoints Pickens as prosecutor pro tempore in a criminal investigation regarding a Henry County lawyer. This is in accord with standard protocol in such an instance.”
Judge Parish also asked that the State Supreme Court designate another judge to hear future matters involving the investigation. “Because the matter involves one or more lawyers whose practice is located in the 24th Judicial District, I will immediately ask that the Tennessee Supreme Court designate another judge from outside this district to hear all future matters related to the investigation.”
