Monroe County officials appoint new sheriff
MADISONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – There’s a new sheriff in town in Monroe County.
Media report officials voted unanimously to appoint Tommy Jones II to the position until the August 2016 election.
The vote came after a legal battle over who should be sheriff in the East Tennessee community.
Randy White won the August election over incumbent Bill Bivens by about 700 ballots, but Bivens filed a lawsuit saying that White wasn’t eligible to hold the position.
A judge voided the election results based on the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission denying White’s certification to run for sheriff because he didn’t have enough full-time law enforcement experience.
Jones was chief deputy under White, and he took over as interim sheriff when the election results were thrown out.
