Tyler Whetstone

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Tyler Whetstone

State investigators are still looking into the Knox County Trustee’s Office, but that hasn’t stopped prosecutors from beginning to review material. Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond's office has taken over any potential criminal case after Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen recused her office May 6. The Blount County office is already at work. “My office has already begun the process of getting brought up to speed by the Comptroller's Office,” Desmond told Knox News in an email.

5 days ago | knoxnews.com | Tyler Whetstone

Knox News sent the Knox County District Attorney's Office a list of questions about an X account belonging to prosecutor Berkley Mason that constantly tweeted racist and sexist tweets. Mason admitted to District Attorney Charme Allen he used the X account in question during a meeting. He was fired shortly thereafter. The DA’s office, along with the Knox County Public Defender’s Office, is reviewing Mason’s cases to try and figure out how much, if any, his biases played out in his prosecutions.

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Tyler Whetstone

Fired Knox County prosecutor Berkley Mason admitted to District Attorney Charme Allen that vile and racist social media posts on X were his. The brief interaction was captured in a summary of the meeting held shortly after Knox News' questions were sent on May 5 and was included in Mason's personnel file, which was obtained through a public records request. The file is full of commendations and positive references. Notably, there was no indication problems were on the horizon.

6 days ago | knoxnews.com | Tyler Whetstone

Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen has recused her office from a potential criminal case against Trustee Justin Biggs or his staffers. If the state watchdog agency findings warrant criminal charges, the Blount County District Attorney's Office will handle prosecutions. Biggs and some of his staff members spent taxpayer dollars on high-end hotel stays and drove trustee-leased vehicles for personal trips, Knox News revealed in an exclusive investigation.

1 week ago | knoxnews.com | Tyler Whetstone

Catholics in Knoxville looking for a connection to the first American pope have a small one, although it's not as glamorous as they may hope. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who will go by the name Pope Leo XIV, was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023 and was installed a few months later. The Vatican office, among other things, handles bishop resignations.