It has taken almost two years, but Banks & Jones is proud to announce that the court case against Loudon County Commissioner Julia Hurley has finally been heard, and the case was dismissed, allowing Commissioner Hurley to remain in her role serving the good people of District 2. T. Scott Jones, who represented Commissioner Hurley, spoke with News 10 about why the decision was the right one.
“The judge applied common sense legal reasoning,” said T. Scott Jones said. “He indicated that we had almost even met the burden of clear and convincing evidence, which was a resounding victory for Commissioner Hurley.”
The details of the case
Back in 2019, Commissioner Hurley – who owns a real estate business – bought a home on Yellowstone Drive as an investment property. She also sold her home at 406 W. 5th Avenue. She temporarily moved into the Yellowstone address before purchasing a new home in which to live.
There are people out there, however, who just can’t help but create trouble, and suddenly the State of Tennessee was involved, filing a lawsuit claiming that Commissioner Hurley could not retain her position because she moved out of the district. All of these presumptions were based on a Facebook video where Commissioner Hurley said she was selling her home and moving into another. In that video (one of the many, many videos she has made to talk about her industry and business) she thanks all the people who make moving easier – a pretty common theme in realtor videos in general. Nowhere in that video does she say the move to Yellowstone is permanent.
But that didn’t matter to the rumor mill. Neither did the fact that she ALSO purchased another home in which to live, and moved out her temporary residence on Yellowstone Dr.
The State of Tennessee sued Commissioner Hurley. She finally got her day in court on December 21. After a four hour trial, Chancellor Frank Williams found in Commissioner Hurley’s favor, ruling that “it doesn’t matter how long she planned to move out of her district, as long as the commissioner said it was temporary. The Chancellor said a preponderance of evidence showed the lawsuit to be moot.” He then dismissed the case.
At Banks & Jones, we Play 2 Win no matter how long it takes. We are thrilled with the court’s decision, which will allow Commissioner Hurley to continue her good work on behalf of the people of District 2. For more media inquiries, or to speak with an experienced attorney, call Banks & Jones in Knoxville at 865-546-2141 or fill out our contact form.
T. Scott knows the importance of interacting with colleagues to stay abreast of developments and changes in the legal world. T. Scott frequently teaches CLE courses on trial strategy, teaching other lawyers his methods for success in the courtroom, and is certified as a Rule 31 Mediator in the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Trial Lawyers, and both the Tennessee and American Associations for Justice.
Read more about T.Scott Jones
