The Eleventh Hour: State Clears the Deck Ahead of Tomorrow’s Sevier County Grand Jury
Sevier County’s legal landscape underwent a seismic overhaul on Friday, setting up a high-stakes grand jury showdown tomorrow morning (Monday August 24, 2026).
The proceedings involve petitioner Erik Cooper, publisher of The Gatlinburg Free Press, and the alleged accused: acting District Attorney and Chief Deputy DA Ron C. Newcomb. Knowing he was about to be accused, on August 20th Newcomb made a formal request to testify to the Grand Jury.
To ensure strict impartiality, the state completely cleared the local players:
- Supreme Intervention: Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins appointed Senior Judge Don R. Ash—a renowned judicial ethics stalwart—to take over the proceedings, insulating the bench from local politics.
– - Prosecutorial Overhaul: A state-level team led by Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) Executive Director Stephen Crump, alongside Shari Tayloe and Brittany Lavalle, was appointed to prosecute. DA Jimmy Dunn named Crump as the pro temp DA and Judge Ash agreed. The local Sevier County ADAs will not be part of their own Grand Jury process other than at the end of a pointing finger.
Executed in a frantic, late-Friday procedural blitz by the court clerk, these sudden back-to-back filings went into the record. The abrupt deployment of outside judicial heavyweights proves the state is treating the allegations against acting Temporary DA Newcomb with maximum gravity. Tomorrow’s decision on a “true bill” could fundamentally upend the local status quo if returned.
The Governor’s Pick
While special prosecutors are stepping in for tomorrow’s session, accused and acting DA Ron C. Newcomb is considered a top contender for Governor Bill Lee’s pending appointment to permanently fill the 4th Judicial District’s vacant DA seat. Whoever the governor selects will serve until the next biennial election in August 2028. Governor Lee selection process could be shaped by tomorrow Grand Jury submission to Judge Ash.
Outgoing DA Dunn’s Quick Departure
The vacancy Governor Lee must now fill stems from outgoing DA Jimmy Dunn’s abrupt retirement, effective August 31, 2026.
Dunn’s departure came less than 24 hours after a contentious July 9 hearing in a public records lawsuit filed by Cooper. The publisher sought documents regarding alleged grand jury misconduct involving Dunn and Newcomb. During the hearing, Senior Judge D. Kelly Thomas Jr. heavily questioned the accuracy of Dunn’s sworn affidavit—in which Dunn claimed he *** did not possess the requested records *** —and ordered the DA to appear and testify in person. Instead of facing the judge, Dunn quit the following morning, abandoning a term that wasn’t set to expire until 2030.