Page 2

1                  The deposition of BILLY JOE MEDLEY was 
2 taken at the offices of Moore, Rader, Clift, and 
3  Fitzpatrick, 46 North Jefferson Avenue, Cookeville,
4  Tennessee, on April 5, 1999. 
5                  It was stipulated and agreed by and between 
6  the respective parties of the herein-entitled cause of 
7  action that the deposition herein was taken by agreement 
8  pursuant to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure and/or 
9  Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, whichever is applicable, 
10  before Maxine Frasier, Court Reporter and Notary Public at 
11  Large in the State of Tennessee; 
12                  That all testimony and proceedings be 
13  written down in shorthand by her and thereafter transcribed 
14  by her or under her direction, and that said deposition may 
15  be read and used in evidence in said cause of action in any 
16  trial thereon or any proceeding therein; 
17                  That all objections, except as to the form 
18  of the question, are reserved to on or before the hearing. 
19  And it is further agreed that all formalities as to 
20  caption, certificate, transmission filing, etc., are 
21  expressly waived. It is agreed that the Court Reporter, 
22  being a Notary, may swear the witness and, after 
23  transcribing the testimony, submit the same to witness for 
24  signature. 
25  

Page 3

1                          INDEX OF TESTIMONY 
2  The Testimony of BILLY  JOE MEDLEY 
3       Examination by Mr. Allen   ........................... 4
4
5
6                           INDEX OF EXHIBITS
7  No.                                                                     Page 
8  1, Citation for disturbing the peace    ................... 26
9  2, Minutes of mayor/alderman meeting    ...........   30 -
10 3, Warrant signed by Fred Helsley   ...................... 36
11  4, Complaint      .......................................          . 45
12  5, Answer         .......................................           . 45
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23  Note: All proper names, unless provided by counsel to the 
24  reporter, represent the best phonetic approximation of that 
25  name.  

Page 4 

1                       BILLY JOE MEDLEY, 
2  having first been duly sworn, was examined and deposed as 
3  follows: 
4
5  EXAMINATION BY MR. JOHN WAYNE ALLEN: 
6
7  Q                   Mr. Medley, my name is John Wayne 
8  Allen. I'll be asking some questions today. If you don't 
9  understand anything, let me know. You heard the other 
10  people when they testified that ... if you don't remember 
11  something, just tell me that; or if I need to refresh your 
12  recollection, just ask me to. Okay? 
13  A                   I'll do it. 
14  Q                   Your name is Billy Joe Medley. 
15  A                   Right. 
16  Q                   And you're one of the defendants in 
17  this case. 
18  A                   Yes. 
19  Q                   And you've been active in politics for 
20  some time, haven't you? 
21  A                   Quite a few years. 
22  Q                   You from Silver Point? 
23  A                   Originally. Raised there. 
24  Q                   You're about seventy-three, I guess? 
25  A                   Right on the money. You want me to  

Page 5

1  tell you who my doctor was that delivered me? Dr. Smith. 
2  Q                   That goes back a way. 
3  A                   Goes back a way. 
4  Q                   And as a young man, you spent a lot of 
5  time around Silver Point? 
6  A                   Yes. 
7  Q                   And Baxter, Boma, Buffalo Valley?
8  A                   The whole area, whole lower end area. 
9  Q                   And you know the politics down there 
10  pretty well. 
11  A                   Close. 
12   Q                   It's changing, I guess. 
13  A                   No, not too much. 
14  Q                   Really? 
15  A                   Not too much. 
16  Q                   And there's a bunch of Medleys down 
17  there. 
18  A                   Right. 
19  Q                   Or there was. 
20  A                   They're not many now. 
21  Q                   When did you first get involved in 
22  politics down in the lower end? 
23  A                   Oh, I'm going to say, Mr. Allen, thirty
24  years ago. That's a long time. Thirty years. 
25                      Now but you've lived elsewhere, haven't  

Page 6 

1 you? 
2 A                    Oh, yes, yes. I've lived in Michigan. 
3 I've lived in Florida. I've lived in Texas. I've lived in 
4 Alabama. I've lived in Kentucky. I've lived in South 
5 Carolina. Now if -- 
6 Q                    When did you leave the lower end? 
7 A                    Oh, 1943. 
8 Q                    You was in your twenties. 
9 A                    Right. 
10  Q                    And you had to leave the lower end to 
11  go to work. 
12  A                    Went to Michigan. 
13  Q                    But before the forties, you was in some 
14  businesses down there, weren't you? 
15  A                    I don't think so.
16  Q                    Ever been in the trapping business? 
17  A                    No, no, no. 
18  MR. RADER:           You mean besides trapping your client? 
19  MR. ALLEN: 
20  Q                    Trapping for foxes, 
21  A                    No, no, no, no. 
22  Q                    -- that type of thing? Never was 
23  A                    No. 
24  Q                    -- in the trapping business. 
25  A                    No.  

Page 7

1 Q                    Fur trading, nothing like that. 
2 A                   No. 
3 Q                    So you weren't involved in any business 
4 down there in the thirties -- 
5 A                   No. 
6 Q                       or early forties. 
7 A                   No. 
8 Q                   And you were a high steel worker, 
9 weren't you? 
10  A                   What? 
11  Q                   High steel worker? 
12  A                   Yes. 
13                        You worked on sky scrapers? 
14  A                   High rises. 
15  Q                   And that was some pretty skilled labor 
16  back then, wasn't it? 
17  A                   Still is. 
18  Q                   Still is. Did you go to Chicago? 
19  A                   No, never did go to Chicago and work. 
20  Worked southern, what we called the southern, you know-- 
21  Florida, Georgia, Alabama--south. Worked the south. 
22  Q                   Lot of high rises going on back then. 
23  A                   Yeah. Well, four stories was high rise 
24  then. 
25 Q                      And you lived in Detroit for awhile?  

Page 8

1 A                      Yes. 
2  Q                     Work in the auto industry? 
3  A                     Worked in the ... during the war. That's 
4  where I went in service, from Michigan. 
5  Q                     And you were in the Army, too, I guess. 
6  A                     In the Marine Corp. 
7  Q                     In the Marine Corp. And you were 
8  stationed state side or did you go -- 
9  A                     Went overseas. 
10                        Where did you go? 
11   A                  South Pacific. 
12   Q                 This was in World War II. 
13   A                  Yes. 
14   Q                  '43. 
15   A                  Yes. 
16   Q                  Before you went to work in the steel 
17   industry. 
18   A                  Yes. 
19   Q                  You over there till '45? Over there 
20   till '45? 
21   A                  November 15, 1945. 
22   Q                  Then you came back to Tenn -- 
23   A                  Yes. 
24   Q                   back to Michigan? 
25   A                     Yes. No. I come back to Tennessee.

Page 9

1 Q          Were you also involved in the Korean 
2 conflict? 
3 A          No. 
4 Q          Didn't - 
5 A          No. 
6 Q          - pull any service in that? 
7 A          No. 
8 Q         You came back to Tennessee in November, 
9 ‘45. 
10 A          Right. 
11 Q          And did you stick around here awhile? 
12 A          Stayed about six months and went to 
13 Michigan and went to work in a plant again, making 
14 automobile doors. 
15 Q          General Motors. 
16 A          Briggs. I don't know who. Whoever 
17 Briggs made for--General Motors. They made for quite a few 
18 people; but they made the doors. 
19 Q          Then you left Detroit about when? 
20 A          Oh, I stayed there about two year. 
21 Q          And then you started working in the 
22 southern realm? 
23 A          Yes.
24 Q          On high steel. 
25 A-         Right. 

Page 10 

1 Q                    And pretty dangerous work. 
2 A                    Right. I'll tell you where I started. 
3  1 started on the Smithville bridge down here going to 
4  Smithville across the lake, right there. 
5  Q                   Then you lived in Texas. 
6  A                   I lived ... no. I ain't never been to 
7  Texas. I've been through there, but I -- 
8  Q                   You didn't work in Texas. 
9  A                   No, no. 
10   Q                   You worked in Florida. 
11   A                   I worked in Florida. I worked in 
12   Alabama, worked in Georgia. 
13   Q                   All on high steel and 
14   A                   High steel. Well, it was back 
15   when ... Mr. Allen, when we started, -- 
16                       [Ms. Cripps leaves room.]
17   MR. DRAPER:         Do we need to stop here? 
18   MS. CRIPPS:         No, sir. 
19   MR. RADER:          Go ahead. I'll watch 
20   A                   -- four stories was high, you know; but 
21   now, that's a ground floor, is four stories. 
22   Q                   Did you work on maybe twenty story 
23   buildings? 
24   A                   Twenties and thirties and forties and 
25   fifties.  

Page 11

1 Q                    So you were up there. 
2  A                   Up on -- 
3  Q                   Saw a lot of people get killed, I 
4  guess. 
5  A                   One man. One man. 
6  Q                   Did you come back to the lower end in 
7  the sixties, retire after then? 
8  A                   No, no. I retired. I got hurt in 1972 
9  working over here at Normandy on the dam over there for 
10  TVA. 11  Q                   In West Tennessee. 
12  A                   Yeah. They dropped a roof on us. 
13  Q                   Then you came back to the lower end 
14  probably for -- 
15  A                   Came back to Baxter, lower end down 
16  here. 
17  Q                   And were you in politics in the early 
18  seventies down -- 
19  A                   Fifties. Started ... well, yes, in the 
20  seventies. Yes. Started in the seventies. 
21  Q                   You moved back to the Town of Baxter 
22  or -- 
23  A                   Moved back to the Town of Baxter. 
24                      And did you run for alderman back then? 
25  A                   I run for mayor. I've been mayor three

            Page12 

1 times down there. 
2 Q                   When were you first elected? 
3 A                   19 ... Mr. Allen, I'm going to say 1981. 
4 1 believe that's right. 
5 Q                   So a four year term? 
6 A                   Two years back then. They've 
7 just ... they've changed it here in the last, oh, what, 
8 couple of years ago, three years ago? 
9 Q                   You served that term, -- 
10  A                   Yes. 
11  Q                   -- two years. 
12  A                   Yes. 
13  Q                   Then you come back in the late eighties 
14  and got re-elected ... got elected again? 
15  A                   Got elected in '86 again. 
16  Q                   Before then ... after you were mayor the 
17  first time in the early eighties, were you ever alderman? 
18  A                   No. Run for alderman one time and got 
19  beat. 
20                      Okay. This was since you ran for mayor 
21  or before? 
22  A                   No. I got elected the first time I run 
23  for mayor. Then I run for mayor again and got beat. 
24  Q                   Okay. So you've lost one -- 
25  A                   Twice.

           Page13 

1                   --  lost one race for alderman. 
2 A                  One race for alderman and two for 
3 mayor. 
4 Q                  And two for mayor. 
5 A                  Yes. If I'm not bad wrong. 
6 Q                  And you were elected in the late 
7 eighties again. Is that right? 
8 A                  '86. 
9 Q                  Okay. 
10  A                  I believe I'm right. 
11  Q                  Did you serve your entire term that 
12  time? 
13  A                  Yes. Two years. 
14  Q                  Two years. 
15  A                  Yes. 
16  Q                  You didn't have to resign or 
17  A                  No. 
18                     You never did resign or 
19  A                  No. 
20  Q                  Still had two year terms back then. 
21  A                  Two year terms back then was all they 
22  had. 
23  Q                  You lived in Detroit. Did you live in 
24  an ethnic neighborhood? 
25  A                  Lived with everything. If you want to 

Page 14 

1 call it ethnic, you call it whatever you want to. 
2 Everything in the country lived there--hillbillies, red 
3 necks, Cubans, Mexicans, colored folks. 
4 Q                   Did you have any conflicts with anybody 
5 in these ethnic neighborhoods? 
6 A                   No. Just joined them. 
7 Q                   You were able to live peaceably with 
8 people of other -- 
9 A                   Oh, yes. 
10  Q                   -- ethnic -- 
11  A                   Yes. 
12  Q                   -- backgrounds. 
13  A                   Yes. 
14  Q                   Has anyone ever threatened you with 
15  death or serious bodily harm? 
16  A                   Yes, they have. 
17  Q                   Was that in those neighborhoods or 
18  A                   Right here. Right here in town. Since 
19  I've been mayor the last time, I've been threatened three 
20  times. 21  Q                   And what was the nature of those? 
22  A                   11,111 kill you." How much plainer can 
23  you get than that? 24  Q                   What was this about? 
25  A                   I know this ... I don't know what it was 

Page 15

1 about. "If you do this to my husband or you do that to my 
2 husband, I'll kill you." 
3 Q                    So these are women that threatened you. 
4 A                    one woman that threatened me and two 
5 men. I know the woman. I could tell you the woman; but 
6 I'll not ... I will not do that now. I'll tell you in 
7 advance I won't tell you who she is. The sheriff over here 
8 knows who she is. 
9                      Did you prosecute her? 
10  A                    No. I just turned her   in to the people 
11  over there. 
12                       They threatened to kill you three 
13  times. 
14  A                    Yes. 
15  Q                    And have you ever threatened to kill 
16  anybody else? 
17  A                    No, no. 
18  MR. RADER:           Wait a minute. He hasn't threatened to 
19  kill anybody that I  know of. What's this "anybody else"? 
20  MR. ALLEN: 
21  Q                      Well, you 
22  MR. RADER:           What's this 
23  MR. ALLEN: 
24  Q                    Have you ever threatened to kill 
25  anybody? 

Page 16 

1 A                    No, no. I was talking to my wife--I 
2 know where you're going, Mr. Allen. I can tell you exactly 
3 where you're headed. I was talking -- 
4 MR. RADER:           Billy Joe, -- 
5 A                    I -_ 
6 MR. RADER:           -- just answer the question. 
7 A                    I'll answer the question. No. 
8 MR. RADER:           You're going to have -- 
9 MR. ALLEN: 
10  Q                    Have you ever threatened 
11  MR. RADER:              to wait till Molly -- 
12  MR. ALLEN: 
13  Q                       anybody with serious 
14  MR. RADER:              gets back -- 
15  MR. ALLEN: 16  Q                       bodily harm? 
17  MR. RADER:              in here. Just a minute. Just time 
18  out. I didn't hear   that question. We can either wait for 
19  Molly; or we can let me listen to the questions, one or the 
20  other. So what's the question? 
21  MR. ALLEN: 
22  Q                    Have you ever threatened anybody with 
23  serious bodily harm? 
24  A                    No. 
25  Q                    Never.
 

Page 17

1 A                    No.
2 Q                    Never threatened to kill anybody. 
3 A                    No. 
4 Q                    Are you a member of any political 
5 organization, any fringe organization, any white 
6 supremacist organization? 
7 MR. RADER:           Wait a minute. That's three questions. 
8 Which one do you want answered? 9
MR. ALLEN: 
10  Q                    Are you a member of a white supremacist 
11  organization? 12 
A                    No. 
13  Q                    Member of the Ku Klux Klan? 
14  A                    I know of them now. 
15  Q                    Pardon? 
16  A                    I know of them now. 
17  Q                    Are you a member of that organization? 
18  A                    No. 
19  Q                    American Nazi party?
 20  A                    No. 
21  Q                    Aryan Nation? 
22  A                    I had to fight for this country. No 
23  way. 
24  Q                    Do you have any Ku Klux Klan regalia in 
25  your closet?
 

            Page 18

1 A                     No. 
2  Q                    No hoods? 
3  A                    No. 
4  Q                    No robes? 
5  A                    No robes. 
6  Q                    Do you believe in the superiority of 
7  the white race? 
8  MR. MELSON:          I'm going to object to this. 
9  MR. RADER:           How is that relevant? 
10   MR. MELSON:          I mean, I don't know that this has got 
11   a thing to do with anything but trying to oppress and 
12   harass this witness in violation of Rule 26. 
13   MR. ALLEN:           Well, I -- 
14   MR. RADER:           And Mr. Delaney is white. If he was a 
15   black person, that might be relevant. 
16   MR. MELSON:          Right. 
17   MR. ALLEN:           I believe 
18   MR. RADER: 
19   Q                    Your family is not black, are they?
20   Your wife and mother is not black, are they? 
21   A                    Are yours? 
22   MR. RADER: 
23   Q                    Or your stepfather? 
24   A                    Are yours? 
25   MR. RADER:           Well, no. But, I mean, he's

            Page 19

1 raised ... he's asked this. 
2 A                    Okay. 
3 MR. RADER: 
4 Q                    Did I 
5 A                    I just 
6 MR. RADER: 
7 Q                    Did I ask you anything before? 
8 MR. ALLEN:           Mr. Rader, according to the rules, I 
9 have the right to ask Mr. medley anything regarding 
10  potential discoverable material. 
11  MR. RADER:           Well, how -- 
12  MR. ALLEN:           Now, if you would like -- 
13  MR. RADER:           If you can make ... if you can tell me 
14  how -- 
15                       [Ms. Cripps returns.]
16  MR. ALLEN:           If you would like to get some kind of 
17  protective  order, be glad to, you know, hear it. 
18  MR. RADER:           You tell me how... you tell me ... you 
19  know, you've asked him about the Aryan race and the Ku Klux 
20  Klan. You tell me how black/white issues are relevant in 
21  this lawsuit; and 
22  MR. ALLEN:           Any discoverable material. 
23  MR. RADER:           Well, how is that discover 
24  MS. CRIPPS:          How is that discoverable in this 
25  MR. RADER:           How is that going to lead to relevant  

Page 20 

1 information? That's the question. 
2  MR. ALLEN:           Well, he has denied making threats of 
3  serious bodily injury to people, that type of thing. 
4  MR. RADER:           Well, are you accusing him of making 
5  threats to black people? 
6  MR. ALLEN:           we're going ... we're going to get into 
7  that; and he, like I say, knows where he's going. 
8  MR. RADER:           Well, how is that relevant to the 
9  issues about a water line on 
10  MR. ALLEN:           Any discoverable information. 
11  MR. RADER:           Well, how is that discoverable? 
12  MR. ALLEN:           I'll be glad to let you get a 
13  protective order; but I have the right to ask him these 
14  questions. 
15  MR. RADER:           Well, I'd like to understand. I'd like 
16  for you... I call upon you to tell us how this can lead to 
17  discoverable information that's relevant to this lawsuit. 
18  MR. ALLEN:           Well, because it's our position that 
19  Mr. Medley has been an abusive political leader in his 
20  time; and he abused  -- 
21  A                    You are bad wrong there, Mr. Allen. 
22  MR. RADER:           You be quiet a minute. 
23  MR. ALLEN:           Go ahead and object; but I'm going to 
24  try to ask him these questions.
25  MS. CRIPPS:          I do. Note my objection, Mr. Allen.
 

Page 21

1 And if you could--I understand that you're trying to assert 
2  that this has been a policy of his, a practice. 
3 MR. ALLEN:          Right. 
4   MS. CRIPPS:         Could you go into a little more detail 
5   with that before you go on with these questions? 
6   MR. ALLEN:          Okay. 
7   Q                   Have you ever been arrested? 
8   A                   Yeah. 
9   Q                   What were you arrested for? 
10   A                   Being drunk. 
11   Q                   And when was that? 
12   A                   Oh, well, I don't know. When the old
13   jail was down here, if you remember. He does, but I 
14   don't . . . or I know you don't; because he wasn't around here. 
15   Not the new one now. 
16   Q                   You've never been arrested -- 
17   A                   Well, I was arrested... yes, I was; and 
18   I'll take that back--here . . . oh, they sent me up here to 
19   make a bond, $1,000 bond. See if you can find it in there. 
20   MR. DRAPER: 
21   Q                   1996? May of 1996? 
22   A                   No. It was later than that. 
23   MR. ALLEN: 
24   Q                   Were you arrested in May of 1996 for 
25   disturbing the peace at Upperman High School by Chief

          Page 22 

1 Michael Smith? 
2 A                    No. I was given a ticket. 
3                      You were given a ticket. 
4  A                   Yeah. 
5                      But at that time, you went to Upperman 
6  High School threatening to "shoot a nigger" and said you 
7  had a .45 gun to do so. Is that right? 
8  A                   Didn't have nothing. The school didn't 
9  prosecute. The chief brought that up, him and Emil 
10  Emerton; and they prosecuted the thing. They didn't hear 
11  me make no threat. And I volunteered up here and paid my 
12  dues up to this court up here; and that's the last you'll 
13  get out of me about that. But if you continue on, then 
14  I'll take the Fifth Amendment on you right here. 
15  Q                   You pled guilty to that, though, didn't 
16  you? 
17  A                   Yeah, I pled guilty; and I paid off; 
18  and that's the end of it. 
19  Q                   $25? 
20  A                   Well, that's what they fined me. 
21  MR. RADER: 
22  Q                   Well, what was the charge? What was 
23  the citation for? 
24  A                   They said I threatened to kill a nigger 
25  over there.
 

Page 23

1 MR. RADER:            Well, that's not a citeable offense. 
2  Q                    What was the citation? 
3  A                    That's not very excitable to me. 
4  MR. ALLEN:
5  Q                    You -- 
6  A                    I pleaded guilty. 
7  Q                    You were not charged with -- 
8  A                    Now let me repeat this again. You keep 
9  on; and I won't answer n'ary n'other question you ask me. 
10  MR. RADER:           What was he charged with? 
11  MR. ALLEN:           Disturbing the peace. 
12  A                    They ain't no such a law as disturbing 
13  the peace. 
14  MR. RADER:           Well, you don't need to be -- 
15  A                    Well, I ain't quoting it -- 
16  MR. RADER:              quoting the law any more than 
17  Mr. Delaney did. 
18  A                       like Delaney here, no. 
19  MR. RADER:           I know. But we need to clarify these 
20  questions here. 
21  Q                    Did you plead guilty to disturbing the 
22  peace? 
23  A                    I pled guilty to . . . I don't know what I 
24  pled guilty to. They put it up to the grand jury and 
25  brought it back down.

           Page 24

1 MR. ALLEN: 
2 Q                    But you deny threatening to shoot a 
3 young black man. 
4 A                    [No response.] 
5 Q                    Do you deny threatening to shoot a 
6 young black man with a .45 gun? 
7 A                    [No response.]
8 Q                    Would you answer the question? 
9 A                    I won't answer no more. I told you 
10  awhile ago I wasn't  going to answer no more. I told you 
11  exactly what happened and all I was going to tell you; and 
12  that's all you're getting. 
13  MS. CRIPPS:          Mr. Allen, if this is the only incident 
14  regarding to do that--I mean, are you going to be rattling 
15  off several other incidents -- 
16  MR. ALLEN:           Yes. 
17  MS. CRIPPS:          -- that he threatened other people? 
18  MR. ALLEN:           Yes. Do you have any objection to him
19  answering the question? 
20  MS. CRIPPS:          Dan, could I speak with you, please? 
21  MR. RADER:           Sure. 
22                       [Mr. Rader and Ms. Cripps leave room 
23                       and return.] 
24  MR. RADER:            What's the question? 
25  MR. ALLEN:

            Page 25 

1 Q                     Do you deny threatening to shoot a 
2 young black man at Upperman High School on 5-24-96? 
3 A                     Yes. 
4 Q                     You did not? 
5  A                    I did not. 
6  Q                    You were cited by Chief Smith. 
7  A                    Never did hear nothing. He was told. 
8  Q                    He was told to do this. 
9  A                    He told to do that by the former... the 
10  ex-mayor down there. 
11  Q                    And was this a time that the campaign 
12  had already started? 
13  A                    Now that, I can't answer you. 
14  Q                    But you deny making that threat. 
15  A                    Yes, I do. 
16  Q                    But you pled guilty. 
17  A                    I pled guilty. 
18  MR. RADER:           Wait. 
19  MR. ALLEN: 
20  Q                    Were you fined $25 and court costs? 
21  A                    Yes. 
22  Q                     And that's the only punishment you got? 
23  A                    I pled guilty; and I paid the court 
24  costs and the . . . . 
25                       Did you have a firearm on the premises
 

Page 26 

1 of the school? 
2  A                     I did not. 
3  Q                     You weren't charged with a hate crime. 
4  A                     No. 
5  Q                     I'd like to make this an exhibit to 
6  Mr. Medley's deposition. 
7  MR. RADER:            What is it? 
8  MS. CRIPPS:           May we see it first? 
9                        [Document passed to Mr. Rader and 
10                       Ms. Cripps.] 
11  MR. RADER:            Let the record reflect this is a 
12  citation issued by  the Baxter Police Department for 
13  disturbing the peace. 
14                        [Citation for disturbing the peace 
15                        marked Exhibit 1.] 
16  MR. ALLEN: 
17  Q                     There was no witnesses for you making 
18  this threat down at   Upperman High School? 
19  A                     I was talking to some people over the 
20  telephone. 
21  Q                     Oh, you didn't go down there? 
22  A                     I was in the high school; but I was 
23  talking to some people on the telephone. I don't know who 
24  was listening; but I wasn't making no -- 
25  Q                     You were there at Upperman High School,
 

Page 27

1 talking on the phone to some other people. 
2  A                     Right. 
3                        But you believe that this charge was 
4  politically motivated. 
5  A                     Yes. 
6  Q                     By Mr. Smith? 
7  A                     Yes. 
8                        And Mr. Emerton? 
9  A                     Yes. 
10   Q                     And then when you were elected mayor in 
11   August of '96, did   you fire Mr. Smith? 
12   A                     I did not. He quit. 
13   Q                     Oh, he quit. 
14   MR. RADER:            Let me clear something up. 
15   Q                     Were you an official of the City of 
16   Baxter when this citation was issued? 
17   A                     No. 
18   MR. RADER:            All right. Go ahead. I'm sorry. I 
19   was confused. Go ahead. 
20   MR. ALLEN: 
21   Q                     And you were elected Mayor of the Town 
22   of Baxter in 8-96. 
23   A                     Right. 
24   Q                     And is this going to be your last stint 
25   in politics?
 

Page 28

1  A                    I doubt it. 
2  Q                   So you're going to run for re-election. 
3  A                   I hope I do. Hope I live long enough.
4  Q                   Did you pay anyone to vote for you in 
5  that election, August of '96? 
6  A                   I don't think so. 
7  Q                   Pass out any election whiskey? 
8  A                   No. I drank all that myself, 
9  Mr. Allen. 
10  Q                   What was your margin of victory? 
11  A                   I don't have no idea. The only thing I 
12  know, the man went away crying when he got beat. That's 
13  the only thing I know. 
14  Q                   This was not Mr. Emerton? 
15  A                   No. This was Mr. 
16                      Was it Issom Keith? 
17  A                   Keith. 
18  Q                   And on the evening of the election in 
19  August of '96, did you make any offensive racial slurs to 
20  elderly ladies -- 
21  A                   I did not. 
22  Q                      at the Senior Citizens 
23  A                 I – 
24  Q                      Center? 
25  A                      did not. I did not. 

Page 29 

1 Q                      Did you go to the regular meeting of 
2  the Baxter City Hall on August 8, 1996? 
3  A                     Don't remember. 
4  Q                     Do you recall -- 
5  A                     August 8, '96. No, not as I know of. 
6  Q                     Do you recall Mayor Emerton presenting 
7  a resolution condemning you for -- 
8  A                     No, I know I didn't go. Now I can 
9  answer your question. No. No, I didn't go. 
10   Q                     -- for making racial slurs to senior 
11   citizens on election night? 
12   A                     No. 
13   Q                     You deny doing that? 
14   A                     I deny doing that. 
15   Q                     Did you have any contact with a 
16   gentleman down there named Henry Malliet? Do you know him? 
17   A                     The colored man? 
18   Q                     A black man. 
19   A                     Black man. Yeah. He worked for the 
20   senior ... or goes to the senior citizens down there. 
21   Q                     Did you make any racial slurs 
22   A                     I did not. 
23   Q                     -- involving him? 
24   A                     I did not. 
25   Q                     But you are aware that the city council 

Page 30

1 condemned you for this? 
2 A                     No. I didn't know it till Delaney 
3  brought it up here. 
4  Q                    You don't know that Ms. Ruth Crislip 
5  made a motion to pass this resolution, -- 
6  A                    I did not. 
7  Q                    -- seconded by Alderman McBroom? 
8  A                    McBroom? 
9  Q                    Do you recognize that? 
10  A                    Now this was before my time. McBroom 
11  was in the other administration. 
12  Q                    I think this was an outgoing council. 
13  A                    Outgoing, yeah. And Wilhite come in 
14  the same time I did; so I don't know anything about this. 
15  No. 
16  Q                    Is that the official minutes? 
17  A                    August 8, 19 ... regular meeting, city 
18  hall. I don't see no signature on the bottom of it here. 
19  Q                    But is that usually the way that the 
20  minutes are written up? 
21  A                    Yes. 
22                       [8-8-96 Minutes of mayor/aldermen 
23                       meeting marked Exhibit 2.] 
24 A                     Ninety six point ... dash six, I don't 
25 remember. Sexual harassment? Oh, no. That's sickening. 
 

Page31 

1 That's absolutely sickening. 
2 MR. DRAPER:           It's only what's in the highlighted 
3  portion. 
4  A                    The rest of it is, too. 
5  MR. ALLEN:
6  Q                    But you deny making those racial slurs. 
7  A                    I didn't make it.
8  Q                    And you didn't make any racially 
9  offensive remarks toward Mr. Malliet. 
10   A                    I did not. 
11   Q                    Or toward the ladies that work there? 
12   A                    Nor the ladies that work there. 
13   Q                    Did you ever threaten to kill Mr-Emil 
14   Emerton? 
15   A                    No. 
16  Q                      At the Wagon Wheel Restaurant? 
17   A                    Lord, no. Used to be a good friend of 
18   mine but he turned me in for making moonshine, which I 
19   never did make no moonshine. 
20   Q                    Were you charged with making moonshine? 
21   A                    No. 
22   Q                    When did he turn you in for that? 
23   A                    Back two or three months before ... say a 
24   year. You don't have it. I'm just giving you a little bit 
25   of free information here that you don't have.
 

Page 32 

1 Q                     You were never arrested for making 
2  moonshine. 
3  A                   No. Then I didn't threaten to kill 
4  Mr. Emerton. He used to be - 
5  Q                   Didn't threaten to kill Mr. – 
6  A                   No. He used to be a friend of mine. 
7  Q                   What ever happened to Mr. Emerton? 
8  A                   He's laying over here in the bed, 
9  waiting to die. 
10  Q                   He had a stroke or something? 
11  A                   Yeah. 
12  Q                   And you deny making the racial slurs to 
13  the ladies 
14  A                   Yes, I do deny it. 
15  Q                   Now when you went to Upperman High 
16  School, what were you doing at Upperman High School that 
17  day? 
18  A                   They told me my granddaughter was 
19  skipping school, is what I was doing over there. It was 
20  next to the last day of school; and that's what I was going 
21  to see, if she was skipping school. 
22  Q                   And did you talk to any of the 
23  officials down there except on the phone? 
24  A                   No, no, no. I might have talked to 
25  Shanks. I don't know. But I don't think so. The other 

Page 33

1  assistant principal was in there. No, I didn't. 
2  Q                  Did you talk to Mr. Covington? 
3  A                  There you go. That's the man. Yes, I 
4  talked to him. 
5  Q                  And did you talk to any of the other 
6  teachers? 
7  A                  Don't think so. 
8  Q                  You don't remember who you talked to on
9  the telephone that time? 
10   A                  Yes, I do; but I'll not tell you. 
11   Q                  Was it someone connected with the 
12   accusations? 
13   A                  No. 
14                      And back on 6-20-98, did you have an 
15   argument with Mr. Fred Helsley -- 
16   A                  I did. 
17   Q                  -- in which you accused him of 
18   operating a whore house? 
19   A                  I did. I've got proof of that. I got 
20   officers in the court up here that I can prove it by; but 
21   I'm not telling you who they are. 
22   Q                  And then you struck Mr. Helsley in the 
23   face with your hand? 
24   A                  I hit him on the arm. I didn't hit him 
25   in the face. I wished I had. If I'd seen a ash tray, I'd
 

Page 34

1  have hit him with it. 
2  Q                   And why did you want to hit him? 
3  A                   He jumped like ... just like me and you 
4  sitting right here--now you ladies will have to excuse me 
5  for this--and called me a God damn liar and stuck his 
6  finger right up in my face. And when he did, I throwed the 
7  damn telephone at him. 
8  Q                   And you hit him with the telephone? 
9  A                   I hit the police with the telephone. I 
10   didn't hit him. 
11   Q                   And that took place in front of 
12   Mr.  Wilhite. 
13   A                   Jeff was there.
14   Q                   And he witnessed this. 
15   A                   Jeff did. 
16   Q                   You definitely hit him. 
17   A                   With my fist or the telephone? 
18   Q                   With a fist. 
19   A                   I don't think so. I hit him on the 
20   wrist with my fist. 
21   Q                   You didn't strike him in the face. 
22   A                   No.
23   Q                   And he was asking for a business 
24   license. 
25   A                   Right. Let me give you--no, I won't
 

Page 35

1 volunteer you no information. No, no, no. 
2 Q                    So you threw a telephone at Mr. Helsley 
3 and hit Officer Davidson with it. 
4 A                    Right. You ought to have a police 
5 report in there. 
6 Q                    And this warrant that he swore out 
7 against you: -- 
8 A                    Right. 
9 Q                    -- "Fred E. Helsley went to City Hall 
10  in Baxter with Officer Ken Davidson and Baxter Alderman 
11  Jeff Wilhite to discuss getting a license for his business 
12  with Joe medley. An argument developed; and Mr. Medley 
13  struck Mr. Helsley in the face with his hand and attempted 
14  to hit him with a telephone, causing him to fear serious 
15  bodily harm." Is that correct? 16  A                    Didn't cause him no serious bodily 
17  harm. 
18  Q                    You were charged with assault? 
19  A                    That's what they charged me with. 
20  That's where  I was trying to think have I been in court up 
21  here. 
22  Q                    Is this report accurate? 
23  MR. RADER:           Well, I object to that.   That doesn't
24  like a report to me. That doesn't look like  a report. 
25  MS. CRIPPS:          Yeah. This is 

Page 36

1 MR. ALLEN: 
2                      Is the warrant accurate?
3 MS. CRIPPS:          This is a warrant. 
4 A                    This is not General Sessions Court.
5 MR. ALLEN: 
6 Q                    You've not been tried on that charge 
7 yet, have you, Mr. Medley? 
8 A                    No. It's pending in court. 
9 Q                    And you've got a trial date set? 
10  A                    Thirteenth of May. 
11                       [Warrant signed by Fred Helsley 
12                       marked Exhibit 3.1 
13  Q                    You recall having a confrontation with 
14  Mr. Emil Emerton at  the Wagon Wheel Restaurant? 
15  A                    No. 
16  Q                    Never did? 
17  A                    No. 
18  Q                    Defendant Medley, how do you know 
19  plaintiff Mr. Dale Delaney? How did you come to know him? 
20  A                    Come up there and made a statement for 
21  him with you, the saddest mistake that I've ever made in my 
22  life, on that road down there. 
23  Q                    How was that a mistake? 
24  A                    I shouldn't have never done it. 
25  Q                    Well, I understand. But –
 

Page 37 

1 A                   That was the worst ... you know when you 
2 make a mistake? That's one I made right there. 
3 Q                   But had you known him before that? 
4 A                   About a week. 
5 Q                   You'd never had any contact with him 
6 before that. 
7 A                   No. 
8 Q                   And he approached you? 
9 A                   Yes, he did. 
10                      And what did he ask you? 
11  A                   Asked me did I know where the road was 
12  down there; and I told him I did, where it used to be. 
13  Q                   So you knew where the old road was. 
14  A                   I was. And he brought me up there; and 
15  1 made a affidavit in front of you. 
16  Q                   And you agree with that affidavit? 
17  A                   I'll still agree with that affidavit; 
18  but that's the worst mistake that I ever made in my life, 
19  was when I done that. 
20  Q                   I understand. But the affidavit that 
21  you made that day was true and correct. 
22  A                   Best of my ability, best of my 
23  recollection, is true and correct. 
24  Q                   And that's where that old road was. 
25  A                   That's where that old road was. 

Page 38

1  Q                  And YOU recall that from Your boyhood,
2 I guess.
3 A Do what? 
4 Q  YOU recall that from Your boyhood?
5 A Yes. Oh, no, not MY boyhood. My 
6 boyhood was down at Silver Point. 
7 Q But, I mean, you remember it 
8 A Yes.
9 Q – ever since --
10 A  Years.
11 Q YOU was a boy. 
12 A  Years. Yes. Up in years. And there 
13 was two girls lived up there, too. 
14 Q  And You've only known him then for a 
15 couple of years.
16 A That's right. And the worst two years 
17 I’ve ever seen in my life. 
18 Q  Do you  consider him a friend of Yours? 
19 A No. 
20 Q  Do you have any opinion as to his 
21 honesty and character?
22 A Don't ask me that. Don't ask me to
23 answer that.
24 Q  You don't have an opinion.
25 A No, I don't have none. 1 won't give
 

Page 39

1 you one.
2 Q Well, do you think he’s a pretty honest
3 fellow?
4 A I told you I wouldn’t answer it.
5 Q What is your recollection regarding 
6 this controversy over a water meter?
7 We provide a service. I’ve heard him
8 make two correct statements since I’ve been sitting here 
9 this morning. A $465 statement he made, that’s correct.
10 That’s what they charge you to hook onto the water. They’d
11 already got a easement. They’s two easements in here that
12 put his water in there. You’ve hooked to it, Dale. You’re
13 hooked to that line that goes down through there.
14 Q Were you mayor at that time?
15 A No, no, no, no. I was mayor when they 
16 put that last meter in down there. I guess Emil was mayor –
17 I don’t know – when they put the other water in.
18 Q How do you have knowledge of when they
19  put the water meter in for him if you weren’t mayor?
20 A No, I don’t . . . I have what they told me
21 was the knowledge. That’s hearsay, which I won’t tell you
22  that either. What I tell you, Mr. Allen, sitting there is
23 the truth. I won’t lie to you. I’ll tell you the truth
24 about anything, except some things that I won’t tell you.
25 Q Why don’t you want to tell me that, 

Page 40

1 Mr. Medley?
 2 A                   Well, I'm not going to tell you that 
3  after you've sat here and listened to that man all day and 
4  you want me to give you an honest answer to that man? I 
5  don't think you want no honest answer out of me. 
6  Q                  Certainly. 
7  A                  No. Not from me you don't.
8  Q                  Well, what is your honest opinion of 
9  Mr. Dale Delaney? 
10  A                  I don't have no honest opinion of him. 
11  Q                  While you were Mayor of the Town of town of
12  Baxter, do you recall reading a temporary restraining order 
13  signed by Chancellor Vernon Neal? 
14  A                  After we'd set the meter. 
15  Q                  After you set the meter. 
16  A                  Yes. 
17  Q                  Do you remember talking to Mr. Delaney 
18  on that Wednesday, Wednesday before Labor Day? 
19  A                  Don't think so. 
20  Q                  You don't recall talking to him? 
21  A                  I don't recall that. 
22  Q                  When did you make the statement that, 
23  "I'm laying for you, Dale"?
24  A                  I don't think that I made the 
25 statement. He's got it on tape. Page
 

Page 41

1 Q                     You don't think that's your voice?
2  A                   Well, I won't deny my voice; but I also 
3  told him I wasn't laying for him; I was making him a 4  promise. 
5  Q                   And what was your promise to him? 
6  A                   The promise if he took that meter out 
7  of the ground, I was going to put him in jail; and that's 
8  exactly where I put him. 
9  Q                   So what was the grounds for you wanting 
10  to put him in jail? 
11  A                   That's city property. If I'd have took 
12  it out, they'd have put me in jail. 
13  Q                   For what charge? 
14  A                   Stealing. That's stealing. 
15  Q                   And you still believe it's stealing? 
16  A                   Yes, I do. If I come over to your 
17  house and steal your car tonight and bring it back 
18  tomorrow, is that stealing? 
19  Q                   What do you think? 
20  A                   I know exactly what it is. It's 
21  stealing. 
22  Q                   Wouldn't that regard whether you 
23  intended to bring it back tomorrow or not? 
24  A                   That's not the thing of it. I don't 
25  have no intention of bringing it back tomorrow if I take it

           Page 42

1 tonight. 
2  Q                   But you might. 
3  A                   No, no. 
4  Q                   Now while you were promising –
5  A                   After I talked to Mr. Draper there, I 
6  called Dale Bohannon. 
7  Q                   Um-hum [affirmative response]. 
8  A                   And Dale Bohannon told me, he said, 
9  "Joe, you leave the meter where it is." And that's where 
10   the meter is today, is where it is. 
11   Q                   In Mr. Delaney's complaint that he 
12   filed against you -- 
13   A                   Yeah. 
14   Q                   -- and the town, 
15   A                   Right. 
16   Q                   -- Mr. Wilhite, 
17   A                   Right. 
18   Q                   -- do you recall seeing this complaint? 
19   A                   I don't know what you're talking about. 
20   If I see it and read it, then I'll .... 
21   Q                   Do you recall that complaint, 
22   Mr. Medley? 
23   A                   No, I've not seen this one I don't 
24   think. No. This is the first time I've seen it. 
25   Q                   You were not served with that
 

Page 43

1 A                    Unless you served it when you served 
2  all those papers. Did you serve that in those papers? 
3  Q                   Yes, sir. 
4  A                   I didn't read them. I stuck them in 
5  the drawer. Now that's how much I thought of it. I put
6  them in the drawer. 
7  Q                   Why did you put it in the drawer?
8  A                   Just because I wasn't going to read it. 
9  Q                   So you never did read this. 
10  A                   No, I didn't read it; and I've not read 
11  it today. 
12  Q                   Has Mr. Rader gone over this with you? 
13  A                   Nobody has went over this with me. 
14  Q                   In Mr. Delaney's complaint,
15  Paragraph 13, he says, "At first, the mayor was very angry 
16  and abusive toward the plaintiff, Mr. Delaney." Do you 
17  deny ever being angry and abusive toward him? 
18  A                   I wasn't angry. I ain't never been
19  angry and abusive toward that man right there. He just 
20  sits and lied to you if he said that in that paper. 
21  Q                   And you said: "I'm going to put you in 
22  jail, Dale," or words to that effect. And, "I'm laying for
 23  you, Dale. I'm making you a promise; I'm going to put you 
24  in jail." Did you tell him that? 
25  A                   Well, is that a threat?  

Page 44

1 Q                   Did you make that statement? 
2 A                   Is that a threat?
3 Q                   I'm asking you if you made that 
4 statement? 
5 A                   No. Why, yeah, I made the statement. 
6 Now is that a threat?
7 Q                   Here on your answer to this complaint, 
8 Paragraph 13, you deny that, don't you, Mr. Medley?
9 A                   If it's on there ... on it, I denied it.
10  Q                   So you deny that. 
11  A                   Denied 13.
12  Q                   Here's 13.
13  A                   Yeah, I denied it. According to this 
14  here, I have. 
15  Q                   So you denied that. That was a 
16  statement that you made. You denied making that promise, 
17  making that threat. 
18  A                   I made him a promise. 
19  Q                   That you was laying for him. What do 
20  you mean by, "I'm laying for you"? 
21  A                   I didn't tell him I was laying for him. 
22  Q                   You didn't tell him that? 
23  A                   No. 
24  Q                   So the words on that tape is not 
25  correct.

           Page 45

1 A                     Well, if he's got it on a tape ... if he 
2 says that I was laying for him on that tape, play your 
3 tape. Let's hear it. 
4 Q                     You've not had a chance to review that 
5 tape?
 6 A                     No, I've not had no chance. It's like 
7 some of this other stuff you'nse is supposed to have. 
8 Q                     And Mr. Rader didn't ... Ms. Cripps 
9 didn't play it for you? 
10  A                     She sent me a 
11  MS. CRIPPS:           Transcript. 
12  A                     -- transcript of it. 
13  MR. ALLEN: 
14  Q                     And you deny that being your words on 
15  the transcript? 
16  A                     I read some of them, but I don't 
17  remember reading a 13. 
18  MR. ALLEN:            I'd like to admit these two documents 
19  as exhibits. 
20                        [Complaint marked Exhibit 4.1] 
21                        [Answer marked Exhibit 5.1]
 22  MR. RADER:            The record needs to reflect, because I 
23  don't believe this was ever read, that No. 13 says: "At 
24  first, the mayor was very angry and abusive toward the 
25  plaintiff, saying, "I'm going to put you in jail, Dale," or 

Page 46

1 words to that effect. And, "I'm laying for you, Dale. I'm 
2 making you a promise; I'm going to put you in jail." 
3 MR. MELSON:          That's what he read. 
4 MR. DRAPER:          That's what he read. 
5 MR. ALLEN: 
6 Q                    And you deny that. You deny making 
7 that statement to Mr. Delaney. 
8 MR. RADER:           No. That isn't the question, 
9 Mr. Allen. The allegation is: "At first, the mayor was 
10  very angry and abusive toward the plaintiff"; and I believe 
11  that's what he's denying if you'll remember.
12  MR. ALLEN: 
13  Q                    You're not denying making those 
14  statements. 
15  A                    No. But I wasn't abusive to him; and I 
16  wasn't ill at him. 
17  Q                    But you told him you was going to put 
18  him in jail. 
19  A                    He's got it right there. 
20  Q                    And you admit threatening to put him in 
21  jail. 
22  A                    I don't admit nothing. 
23  Q                    Did you say you was going to put him in 
24  jail? 
25  A                    I did not.

          Page 47 

1 Q                   You never did tell him that. 
2 A                   No. 
3 Q                   Never did tell him you was laying for 
4 him. 
5 A                   No. 
6 Q                   So the transcripts that Ms. Cripps 
7 provided were for ... is not correct. 
8 A                   Yes, it is. If she wrote it, it is.
9 I'll take Ms. Cripps' word for it. 
10  Q                   Did you threaten to put him in jail or 
11  promise to put him in jail? 
12  A                   I promised to put him in jail. I 
13  didn't threaten to put him in jail. 
14  Q                   On the charge of stealing? 
15  A                   Stealing. 
16  Q                   Had he stole anything at that time? 
17  A                   Well, I anticipated him stealing it. 
18  He said he was going to take it. 
19  Q                   Did you tell him that it would be okay
 20  if he took it out of the ground? 
21  A                   I did not. 
22  Q                   And you never did tell him –
23  A                   I did not.
24  Q                   -- that you was going to send a crew to 
25  get it?
 

Page 48 

1 A                    I did not. I told him if it was on his 
2 land, then I would send a crew and take it out; and Dale 
3 Delaney said, "Leave the meter right where it is." Not 
4 Dale Delaney, but Dale Bohannon. Dale Bohannon said, 
5 "Leave it right where it's at, Joe." Call him. And he's 
6 the city attorney. 
7 Q                    Now you were talking to Mr. Delaney and 
8 you were dealing with Mr. Delaney in your capacity as Mayor
 9 of the Town of Baxter. 
10  A                    Right. 
11  Q                    And you thought you had the authority 
12  to make the arrest of Mr. Delaney. 
13  A                    I got the authority from that gentleman 
14  right over there and Jim Hudkins to get a warrant to have 
15  Dale Delaney arrested. 
16  Q                    Did you talk to Ruth Crislip about 
17  taking a warrant out for him? 
18  A                    I don't think so. 
19  Q                    How come you didn't approach her? 
20  A                    I didn't see her. If I'd have seen 
21  her, I would have.   I don't run around to their house.
22  Q                    Did you talk to Skip Harville. 
23  A                    I didn't talk to Skip Harville either. 
24  1 found Jim Hudkins  and Jeff Wilhite down at Stafford's 
25  when I went down there on Sunday morning; and I asked 
 

Page 49

1 them... the sheriff is the one said take the warrant out for 
2 him for theft. 
3 Q                   This is on Sunday? 
4 A                   Monday. Labor Day. 
5 Q                   So you approached Mr.
6 A                   They was there. They was already 
7 there, talking to Mr. Stafford. 
8 Q                   They were there. Where? 
9 A                   Down in James Stafford's yard. 
10  Q                   Did you see them at city hall that day? 
11  A                   Did I see them at city hall? 
12  Q                   Um-hum [affirmative response]. 
13  A                   No. That's a holiday. That's Labor 
14  Day. 
15  Q                   You weren't working that day? 
16  A                   No. They come and got me. 
17  Q                   Who came and got you? 
18  A                   Don Hall, I think, come and got me. 
19  Q                   Where were you that day, Mr. Medley? 
20  A                   I was at home. It was about nine 
21  o'clock in the morning. 
22  Q                   You signed a criminal complaint on 
23  September 1, 1997, in which you accused him of stealing a 
24  water meter. 
25  A                   That's right. A man, Mr. Wheeler,

           Page 50 

1 wrote the warrant. 
2 Q                   And you made that in your capacity as 
3 Mayor of the Town of Baxter. 
4 A                   I made it on the authority of them two 
5 fellows right there--Mr. Hudkins, Mr. Wilhite--and myself.
 6 Q                   What did Mr. Hudkins tell you? 
7 A                   Go over and get a warrant for him for 
8 theft just like that man right there said, go get a 
9 warrant. 
10  Q                   So they both told you to get a warrant 
11  for theft. 
12  A                   Get a warrant for him for theft. And I 
13  made the third one. It takes three. It takes three to get 
14  a warrant; so I made the third one. You have to have 
15  three. 
16  Q                   Did Mr. Hudkins go down? 
17  A                   Go down where? He was already there. 
18  Q                   Did he go down and make a warrant out 
19  for Mr. Delaney's arrest? 
20  A                   Down where? Where are you talking 
21  about?
22  Q                   Down at the courthouse or down at the 
23  General Sessions ... down at the jail?
 24  A                   No, no. 
25  Q                   Did you go down there? 

           Page 51

1 A I did
. 2 Q                   Mr. Wilhite, did he go down to make -- 
3 A                   No. 
4 Q                   -- the affidavit of complaint? You 
5 did?
 6 A                   I did. 
7 Q                   In your capacity as mayor. 
8 A                   Yes. 
9 Q                   You didn't do it as Billy Joe medley, 
10  individual citizen. 
11  A                   No. 
12  Q                   And you went down to Martin Wheeler.
13  A                   I guess that's his name, Wheeler. 
14  Q                   And on September 1, 1997, "Theft, 
15  to wit, by Dale Delaney, taking a water meter valued at 
16  $465'1 -- 
17  A                   No. No. 
18  Q                   No, what? 
19  A                   That's wrong. 
20  Q                   What's wrong? 
21  A                   That right there is. That's not right. 
22  The water meter is $37.50. To put that water meter in is 
23  $465. 
24  Q                   "A water meter valued at 
25  $465," – 

Page 52 

1 A                     No. No. He's just got it wrong. 
2 Q                     -- "belonging to the City of Baxter." 
3 A                     Right. 
4 Q                     "And Dale Delaney did so without the 
5 effective consent of the rightful owner in Putnam County, 
6 Tennessee." 
7 A                     Right. 
8 Q                     You signed this Billy Joe Medley. 
9 A                     Right. 
10  Q                  Mayor of Baxter. 
11  A                  Right. 
12  Q                  But you deny that the water meter was 
13  valued at $465. 
14  A                  I do. 
15  Q                  Mr. Wheeler put that in on his own 
16  volition. 
17  A                   He asked me how much it cost me to put 
18  it in, how much the people paid to put it in. That's the 
19  price of the fee for taping the line, is $465. The meter 
20  is $37.50. 
21  Q                    What else did Mr. Wilhite tell you
 22  concerning this -- 
23  A                     Just told me to get a warrant for him 
24  and put him in jail. 
25  Q                     Did he say he'd gone down there 

          Page 53 

1 Saturday night? 
2  A                    He didn't tell me. I didn't ask him. 
3  Q                    Did he tell you that Mr. Delaney 
4  intended to return the meter? 
5  A                    No. 
6  Q                    He didn't tell you that? 
7  A                    No. 
8  Q                    Had you known that, would that have 
9  made a difference in whether you swore out the warrant or 
10   not? 
11   A                    It would have made a difference if 
12   they'd have told me  not to go get the warrant. That's what 
13   would have made the  difference. 
14   Q                    If, in their opinion, -- 
15   MR. RADER:           Let's just quit using indefinite 
16   pronouns.   Identify the people you're talking about. 
17   A                    Who? 
18   MR. ALLEN: 
19   Q                    -- in Mr. Wilhite and Mr. Hudkins' opinion 
20   there was no need for a warrant, you wouldn't have 
21   taken it out. 
22   A                    No, I would not. 
23   Q                    And it wouldn't have mattered in your 
24   mind whether or not  Mr. Delaney intended to return it to
25   the Town of Baxter.
 

Page 54 

1 A                  That's true. The sheriff would have 
2 done seen that he returned it to the City of Baxter. 
3 Q                   The Sheriff did see that. 
4 A                  He brought it back and give it to the 
5 sheriff. He just stated that. 
6 Q                  And did you know that he had taken 
7 yours back and given it to the sheriff? 
8 A                  Yes, I did. 
9 Q                  And this was after the sheriff received 
10  it? 
11  A                  After the sheriff had left from down 
12  there. 
13  Q                  Did you go get a warrant after -- 
14  A                  After the sheriff left. 
15  Q                  And you'd known that he'd bringed it 
16  back then. 
17  A                  I didn't know. They said it was there. 
18  1 didn't see it. I didn't go down there where -- 
19  Q                  But the sheriff told you that he'd 
20  brought it back. 
21  A                  Sheriff, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 
22  The sheriff didn't tell me anything. 
23  Q                  Did you talk to the sheriff?
24  A                  I talked to the sheriff later, not that 
25  day.
 

Page 55 

1 Q                     Not that day. 
2  A                    No. 
3  Q                    You state in your answer to 
4  interrogatories--do  you recall these? 
5  A                    Which one are you talking about? 
6  Q                    All of them. 
7  A                    All of them? 
8  Q                    Um-hum [affirmative response].
9  A                    Yes. The first one is yes. 
10   Q                    Are those answers accurate? 
11   A                    Yes. 
12   MS. CRIPPS:          Well, take your time and look through 
13   them. 
14   A                    I'm going. On the third one, it's yes. 
15   MR. ALLEN: 
16   Q                    Do you recall seeing those before? 
17   A                    Yeah, I've seen these. Jeff Wilhite, 
18   alderman, I talked to him. Jim Hudkins, I talked to him. 
19   James Stafford, I talked to him. All A, B, C... and C is 
20   all yes. 
21   Q                    What did you tell Mr. Hudkins about the 
22   situation with Mr. Delaney? 
23   A                    I didn't tell Mr. Hudkins anything. I 
24   just ask Mr. Hudkins and Wilhite did they want a warrant 
25   for Delaney's arrest. 

          Page 56

1 Q                    And was that in context with their 
2 position as Aldermen of the City of Baxter? 
3 A                    That's exactly right. 
4 Q                    This was not their position as private 
5 citizens that they thought this. 
6 A                    No, no. 
7 Q                    Did Mr. Hudkins tell you anything about 
8 what Mr. Delaney had told him? 
9 A                    He didn't say a word. 
10  Q                    Mr. Wilhite didn't tell you anything 
11  about what Mr. -- 
12  A                    He didn't say a word. 
13  Q                    -- Delaney had told him? 
14  A                    He didn't say a word. I didn't ask 
15  them. 16  Q                    You just asked them for a warrant? 
17  A                    I just asked them did they want to take 
18  a warrant for Delaney for taking a meter. 
19  Q                    And they both told you yes? 
20  A                    Yes, go get a warrant for his arrest. 
21  Q                    Why didn't you go to Mr. Richard 
22  McBroom? 
23  A                    Who? 
24  Q                    Mr. McBroom. 
25  A                    Who is that? 

Page 57 

1 Q                      Wasn't he an alderman at that time? 
2  A                   No. No, sir. 
3  Q                   Skip Harville wasn't an alderman at 
4  that time? 
5  A                   He did. I didn't even know where Skip
6  was. Well, them two was right there. Why should I go 
7  anywhere? 
8  Q                   Right there at city hall. 
9  A                   No. Right down there at Stafford's, 
10   right beside of where they took the meter out. Why should 
11   1 go to Baxter and hunt up two people? 
12   Q                   Well, if you were maybe thinking about 
13   getting approval from the other two alderman. 
14   A                   I don't need approval but from two of 
15   them. I make the third one. 
16   Q                   So just in case that you have a town 
17   meeting that if you've got two voting to take a warrant for 
18   Mr. Delaney and two oppose it, you cast the tie breaker. 
19   A                   The tie breaker. If I want to vote for 
20   him to arrest him, I'll vote for him. If I don't, then I 
21   don't vote. 
22   Q                   But this meeting was outside the
23   regular business meeting of the Town of Baxter. 
24   A                  It wasn't on no town -- 
25   MR. RADER:          I object to the form of that question.  

Page 58

1 A                   You'll have to go back again somewhere. 
2 MR. ALLEN: 
3 Q                   You didn't go to the town council to 
4 get approval to arrest Mr. Delaney. 
5 A                   No, no. I did not. 
6 Q                   This conversation took place outside 
7 that scope.
8 A                   Right. It was on Labor Day. 
9 Q                   What did Sheriff Abston tell you 
10  about -- 
11  A                   I didn't talk with the sheriff till 
12  later, two or three days after that. 
13  Q                   This was after you got the warrant?
14  A                   Yes, two or three days later. 
15  Q                   But you knew that the sheriff had gone 
16  up there and got that water meter. 
17  A                   I know he went down there and told 
18  Delaney to go get it.
19  Q                   Did you know that Mr. Delaney brought 
20  it back to the sheriff? 
21  A                   He brought it back over to the sheriff. 
22  Q                   And did the sheriff bring it back? 
23  A                   I don't know where the sheriff put it.
24  1 don't know where they put it at. I didn't go down to 
25  where –
 

Page 59 

1  Q                     Did the town recover it that day? 
2  A                    Yes, they did. 
3  MR. RADER:           You're talking over each other. 
4  MR. ALLEN: 
5  Q                     Did the town recover the water meter on 
6  Labor Day? 
7  A                    Yes.
8  Q                    Before you took the warrant for 
9  Mr. Delaney. 
10  A                    Yes, sir. 
11  Q                    Now Mr. Johnny Jared had another water 
12  meter put in that young lady's ... to hook her water line. 
13  Is that correct? 
14  A                    The one that he took out. 
15  Q                    Did he have another one in addition to 
16  that in the truck that day? 
17  A                    I don't think so. He might have. They 
18  generally always carry one or two or three in the truck 
19  with them. Now whether he had one or not, I don't know. 
20  Q                    What time did you go down to that 
21  Friendly Road property? 
22  A                    About ten o'clock. 
23  Q                    Did you see Mr. Delaney that day? 
24  A                    Sitting over in his yard with his 
25  camcorder.

          Page 60 

1 Q                   And did you see Mr. Stafford that day? 
2 A                   I did. 
3 Q                   What kind of documents did you pick up 
4 from Mr. Stafford? 
5 A                   I didn't pick up any documents from
6 Mr. Stafford. I just looked at his survey mark and looked
7 at his deed. 
8 Q                   And what did that convince you?
9 A                   It just showed me where the line went. 
10  That's all there was ... and how much property he owned
11  there. 
12  Q                   Now you heard Mr. Delaney testify that 
13  you went down there prior to that day and marked off his 
14  property. Is that right? 
15  A                   We went down there and stepped it off; 
16  and according to where it is--the meter is still sitting in 
17  the same place--and if Stafford owns that piece of 
18  property, the meter is sitting on Stafford. 
19  Q                   But you went down there and walked it 
20  with Mr. Delaney. 
21  A                   I went down there and we stepped it 
22  off. 
23  Q                   And did you believe at that time that 
24  was Mr. Delaney's property? 
25  A                   No.

          Page 61 

1   Q                  You thought it was Stafford's property? 
2   A                   I thought it was Stafford's property. 
3   1couldn't see how Mr. Delaney got across the road. 
4   Q                   Did you see Johnny Jared out there that 
5   day, on September 1? 
6   A                   He come after I called him to come down 
7   there and put that meter back in. 
8   Q                   Did you talk to him that day? 
9   A                   No. Just called him on the telephone, 
10   got his telephone.  Went home and used my own telephone and 
11   called him and told him to go back down there and put the 
12   meter back in that Dale had taken out. 
13   Q                   And do you deny telling Mr. Delaney 
14   that you would send somebody down there to get the water 
15   meter? 
16   A                   No. I don't deny it. If it had been 
17   on Dale's place, I would have if it was proven; but Dale 
18   Bohannon told me to leave the meter as is. 
19   Q                   When did you talk to Mr. Bohannon? 
20   A                   That same day. 
21   Q                   September 1? 
22   A                   The day that the question ... Friday or 
23   whenever the meter come up. And he told me to leave the 
24   meter as is; so I left it where it was. 
25   Q                   Did you contact Mr. Delaney and tell

          Page 62

1 him you wouldn't be there? 
2  A                    No. 
3  Q                    You don't recall if the work crew had 
4  an extra meter on the truck that day.
5  A                    No, I don't. But like I said a minute 
6  ago, they generally carry two or three with them when they 
7  go. 
8  Q                    Did you know that Mr. Delaney had 
9  planned to remove the meter from his property he believed 
10  to be his? 
11  A                    I had a sneaking feeling he was going 
12  to do it. 
13  Q                    Why did you have a sneaking feeling? 
14  A                    I don't -- 
15  Q                    What was the basis for it? 
16  A                    -- know. You have one of those things
17  that tells you that  -- 
18  Q                    Intuitively. 
19  A                    Yeah, that something is going to 
20  happen, you know, that .... 
21  Q                    Did you know that he planned to remove 
22  the meter on the land that he believed to be his? 
23  A                    I had a sneaking feeling that ... no, I 
24  didn't know that he had ... would do that. But I ... you know, 
25  in my thoughts, I figured he would.

          Page 63 

1 Q                    What time did you swear out this 
2 warrant? 
3 A                    About ten o'clock, ten-thirty, 
4 something. 
5 Q                    So you left Friendly Road. 
6 A                    And come straight up to the courthouse 
7 and had to call Mr.  Wheeler in, you know. Had to call in a 
8 man to write the warrant because there wasn't one there. 
9 it -- 
10  Q                    Did you go 
11  A                       was on 
12  Q                       back to 
13  A                       a holiday. 
14  Q                       Friendly Road after that? 
15  A                    I went back down there, yes. 
16  Q                    What time did you go back down there? 
17  A                    Well, whatever time after I got the 
18  warrant and got it  in. I'd say it was around twelve 
19  o'clock, close to twelve. 
20  Q                    Did you talk to Mr. Jared after you got 
21  back at twelve? 
22  A                    He was there in his truck. I just 
23  spoke to him. I didn't say anything to him. 
24  Q                    Did you talk to Mr. Wilhite? 
25  A                    I didn't talk to anybody. I just went

          Page 64 

1 down -- 
2  Q                   Why did you go back down to Friendly 
3  Road? 
4  A                   I just went down there to see if Johnny 
5  had got there to put the meter back in; because the boy was 
6  digging; and he was almost there then. That's all I went 
7  back for. We provide a service, Mr. Allen. 
8  A                   I understand. 
9  A                   And it's my job to see that these 
10  people gets that service. It would be my job, if you 
11  applied for a meter, to see that you got it. 
12                      And you went down there to make sure 
13  that meter was put back in. 
14  A                   I went down there to make sure that 
15  that meter was put back in; and I would have done the same 
16  thing if it had been your meter. It's a service that we 
17  provide. You can't ... you want this back or you want it 
18  here? 
19  Q                   I'll take it back. Thank you. 
20  Mr. Medley, what is your definition of a theft offense? 
21  A                   Taking something that don't belong to 
22  you. 
23  Q                   Now what if he took it and give it back 
24  to you? 
25  A                   He can't take it and give it back to 

          Page 65 

1 me. 2  Q                   Because you won't accept it. 
3  A                   I wouldn't accepted it. If he'd have 
4  brought it up there to city hall, I wouldn't accepted it. 
5  Q                   But since he gave it to the sheriff, 
6  you took it. 
7  A                   Well, the sheriff set it down there. 
8  Q                   And the city recovered it. 
9  A                   City recovered it. 
10  Q                   And put it in. 
11  A                   Right. And I reckon it's still in 
12  there as far as I know. 
13  Q                   Did you notice a concrete casing there? 
14  A                   It was gone when I was down there the 
15  first time.
16                      Was it there when you got back? 
17  A                   I think so. 
18  Q                   Do you now understand, Mayor, that 
19  Mr. Delaney was not guilty of a theft offense? 
20  A                   No, I don't. I don't know how he got 
21  out of it. I'd like to get out of it myself. 
22  Q                   Do you now realize you made a terrible 
23  mistake 
24  A                   No, I didn't make no mistake. I'd do 
25  it again.

          Page 66 

1 Q                      -- when you swore out this warrant? 
2  You would have done   it again. 
3  A                     I would do it again. 
4  Q                     And did you also charge Mr. Delaney 
5  with vandalism? 
6  A                     Yes, I did.
 7  Q                     And what is your understanding of 
8  vandalism? 
9  A                     Taking something that belongs to ... or 
10  tearing down something. Destroying is more of a good word, 
11  1 guess, of putting it. 
12  Q                     Was this water meter destroyed? 
13  A                     Well, it wasn't in place where we put
14  it. 
15  Q                     But was it destroyed? 
16  A                     No, it wasn't destroyed. 
17  Q                     So your understanding of the crime of 
18  vandalism was destroying some property that don't belong to 
19  you. 
20  A                     Taking something that don't belong to 
21  you is destroying to me. 
22  Q                     That's a theft offense or vandalism 
23  offense? 
24  A                     Well, both of them. You can count them 
25  both the same thing.

          Page 67 

1 Q                    Did you swear out a warrant charging 
2  Mr. Delaney with the crime of vandalism? 
3  A                   Yes, I did. 
4  Q                   And when was that? 
5  A                   Lewis Coomer ... the same day that 
6  they ... when did they? Same day they turned him loose, I 
7  guess. 
8  Q                   So this was also on Labor Day? 
9  A                   They didn't have no trial on Labor Day. 
10  Q                   No. The same day they turned him 
11  loose--they turned him -- 
12  A                   Yeah. 
13  Q                   -- loose on 
14  A                   Yeah. 
15  Q                   -- Labor Day. 
16  A                   In court up there. 
17  Q                   And you heard that he testified that he 
18  was -- 
19  A                   I heard that they was going to turn him 
20  loose. I don't know how it got out in court they was going 
21  to turn him loose; but anything can go on in that court 
22  over there. 
23  Q                   Yes, sir, I understand. 
24  A                   Yes, I do understand. 
25                      Who indicated – 

          Page 68 

1 A                    Don't ... you're going too far. I won't 
2  tell you. 
3  Q                   But somebody indicated that they was 
4  going to turn him loose that day. 
5  A     >

---

Transfer interrupted!

nbsp;       That's exactly right. 
6  Q                   And you said, "I want to charge him 
7  with vandalism, too." 
8  A                   That's exactly right. 
9  Q                   And you went to Mr. Lewis Coomer. 
10  A                   Yes, I did. 
11  Q                   And you swore out a warrant charging 
12  him with vandalism. 
13  A                   Vandalism. 
14  Q                   And you were very unhappy when he got 
15  turned loose that day. 
16  A                   Yes, I was, which I would have been if 
17  you'd have been down there and turned loose. Very unhappy. 
18  And I was also unhappy with the grand jury up there. Never 
19  seen a grand jury discharge all of its people except two 
20  people to hear a case. 
21  Q                   Let me ask you this: When did you go 
22  to the grand jury, Mr. Medley? 
23  A                   I don't even remember. 
24  Q                   Was it after November? 
25  A                   I don't know. I won't even hazard no  

Page 69 

1 guess. 
2  Q                   Did you ask to go to the grand jury 
3  that day? 
4  A                   No. They said they'd send me word when 
5  to come. 
6  Q                   And did they do that? 
7  A                   They did. 
8  Q                   Who was the chairman of the grand jury 
9  that day? 
10  A                   He is--and that's something else I 
11  don't understand that ... why they done it. They've got a 
12  man that's a permanent foreman of the grand jury up there
13  now. 
14  Q                   Would that be Mr. Holloway? 
15  A                   That will be Mr. Holloway; and how do 
16  you get that? 
17  Q                   Have you ever had contact with 
18  Mr. Holloway before? 
19  A                   I don't want no more contact with 
20  Mr. Holloway. 
21  Q                   No. I mean, have you known him before 
22  that? 
23  A                   No. And I don't want no more with him 
24  either. 
25                      Was he abusive to you that day,

          Page 70 

1 A                     He was a idiot. I've talked to a lot 
2   of lawyers and a lot of good lawyers; and they don't see 
3   how he dismisses half of his grand jury and keeps two 
4   people there to hear a case; and I don't either. 
5   Q                   And that's what happened that day. 
6   A                   That's exactly what happened. 
7   Q                   What did he tell you that day?
 8   A                   This one woman was sitting there, one 
9   poor lady--I don'twant to hold it again her--she was
10   sitting there looking right straight up. She didn't no 
11   more know what I was saying than a man in the moon. 
12                       Mr. Holloway did, didn't he? 
13   A                   I don't know whether he did or not. 
14   Q                   What did he tell you that day? 
15   A                   I don't know. Don't even remember. 
16   MR. RADER:          I don't think you're entitled to ask 
17   what happened in the grand jury. 
18   A                   You keep on and I'll tell you again I'm 
19   just about to quit, Mr. Allen, fixing to answer anything 
20   that you're asking. 
21   MR. ALLEN: 
22   Q                   Why is that, Mr. Medley? 
23   A                   You just keep on and on; and I'm not 
24   going to tell you no more. And you ask; and if I want to 
25   answer it, I will; and if I don't, I won't. Go ahead.
 

Page 71

1 Q                     Did you ever apologize to Mr. Delaney 
2  for having him arrested? 
3  A                    No. 
4  Q                    Ever offer to make things right with 
5  him? 
6  MR. MELSON:          Object to the form of the question. 
7  MR. ALLEN: 
8  Q                    Did you offer to ever pay his lawyer? 
9  A                    And I won't tomorrow either. 
10  Q                    Ever offer to reimburse him for any 
11  medical costs? 
12  A                    Did he offer to reimburse us for 
13  anything? 
14  Q                    Did you offer to 
15  A                    No, I didn't offer him. Not going to 
16  offer him. 
17                       You'd have done the exact same thing if 
18  you had it to do again. 
19  A                    Do what? 
20  Q                    Have him arrested. 
21  A                    There you go again, right back to the 
22  same question. 
23  Q                    You don't have any regrets for having
24  him arrested. 
25  A                    None whatsoever.

          Page 72

1 Q                    And you're upset that they turned him 
2 loose. 
3 A                    Yes, I am. 
4 Q                    And you disagree with that decision. 
5 A                    I don't have no room for a thief. If 
6 my brother is one, I don't have no room for him. If you're 
7 one, then I don't have no room for you. 
8 Q                    So you really planned to have him 
9 arrested before he actually took the water meter out. 
10  A                    That's the second time you've asked 
11  that. I'm not answering you. 
12  MR. ALLEN:           Mr. Medley, I don't believe I have any 
13  more questions. 
14  AND FURTHER THIS DEPONENT SAITH NOT. 
15 
16 
17
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
 

Page 73

1 STATE OF TENNESSEE 2 COUNTY OF PUTNAM 
3 
4                  1, Maxine Vaughn Frasier, being a Court 
5 Reporter and Notary Public-at-Large in and for the State of 
6 Tennessee, certify that the witness was duly sworn by me 
7 and thereafter testified as set forth in the foregoing 
8 deposition; and I further certify that said deposition is a 
9 true record of the testimony given by said deponent. I 
10  further certify that I am not interested in this matter, 
11  nor of kin nor counsel to any of the parties. 
12                   In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my 
13  hand and affixed my seal this ninth day of April, 1999. 
14 
15                                 Notary Public-at-Large- 
16  My Commission Expires: 
17          2-26-2000 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25
 

Page74 

1                            ADDENDUM 
2  If there are any corrections to your deposition, indicate 
3  those corrections on this sheet. Identify the page and 
4  line number, list the change you are making, and give the 
5  reason for that change. 
6 
7  Page Line Change                           Reason
8 [By hand] Miss Molly I see No Reason
9 to Change Any of this
10
11 
12 
13 [By hand] Billy Joe Medley
14 
15 [By hand] Delaney
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23
24 
25

          Page 75 

1 
2
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21                                                      Signature of Deponent 
22 
23 
24 
25

           Page 76

1 DEPONENT'S CERTIFICATE 
2 
3 I [Printed by hand] Billy J. Medley declare under penalty 
4 of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct, 
5 including such changes as I have made to the Addendum 
6 annexed herein where applicable. 
7 
8  Date [By hand] 4/26/99         Signature [By hand] Billy J. Medley
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