District Attorney General Randy Nichols, Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones, Knoxville Police Chief Sterling IV Owens are all conflicted. They do not want to file reports or prosecute an elected official, no matter how sorry the official is. So, if the Ethics Committee finds that Smith has perjured himself, then Nichols can appoint an outside Prosecutor to handle the Smith perjury case.

Sources close to law enforcement inform us that this is not the only case that Mr. Nichols has had to deal with from Commissioner Smith this year.