East Tennessee pastor cleared in snake case
JACKSBORO, Tenn. (AP) – An East Tennessee grand jury has cleared a pastor who has appeared on a reality television show about snake handling in church of possessing venomous snakes.
Campbell County pastor Andrew Hamblin of Tabernacle Church of God in LaFollette (luh-FAH’-lut) was cited Nov. 7 and pleaded not guilty. But the Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1krpnHO ) reports a grand jury on Wednesday exonerated the 22-year-old pastor.
Prosecutor Lori Phillips Jones said officials didn’t see the matter as a religious freedom case but public safety. She said she respects the grand jury’s decision.
Hamblin has appeared on the National Geographic show “Snake Salvation.”
