83 and ailing, elder Thomas misses court date

Staff at Bedford County's court clerk office say that a single box of warrants like these typically represents a full docket in General Sessions Court. But the two boxes containing 722 warrants are all for one person: John Darron Thomas, who faces the large number of animal cruelty counts when he returns to court next month.
(T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Order this photo]

Meanwhile, Thomas' elderly father did not show for his first court appearance on related charges, while the remaining cattle that are at the center of the cruelty case have been sold.

Claude Thomas, 83, had been scheduled to appear Wednesday in General Sessions Court for five counts of animals running at large, but Judge Charles Rich was informed that the elder Thomas is bedridden.

The charges against the elder Thomas were filed on Feb. 8 -- two days before Bedford County authorities executed search warrants on the Thomas property following reports of dead and starving cows that led officials to ultimately charge John with a total of 722 counts of animal cruelty.

Shelbyville attorney John Norton, who has been hired as co-counsel in legal matters concerning John Thomas and will be assisting Nashville attorney Michael Flanagan in the cases, said that his office was unaware of the charges against John's father and were attempting to contact him.

However, Norton said that he was going to be unable to represent Claude because "I'm sure (Claude's) position on these animals running at large is that is John Thomas' responsibility ... so there is clearly a conflict."

In fact, when the younger Thomas made his initial court appearance on the cruelty charges last month, attorney Carla Ford of Murfreesboro told the T-G that the cows in question did not belong to her client, but are owned by his father Claude, and that John is "helping to take care of them."

Norton added that Claude "is in pretty bad shape" and it was likely he would not be able to attend court that day. He did not think that Rich would issue a warrant for failure to appear due to his health and the case has been reset for April 14.

Cattle sold

The cattle that were removed from the Thomas property after the cruelty charges were filed last month have finally been sold, Norton explained.

Under Tennessee's animal cruelty statute, either law enforcement or the Humane Society take charge of the cattle, which can be forfeited to the county or the Humane Society, Norton said.

Norton said his office "intervened in time" to work out a disposal plan late last week that was acceptable to both the county, the Humane Society and the area farmers who have footed the bill to care for the animals.

As the result of negotiation with a number of livestock brokers around the south, a sale was worked out and a court will later figure out how to repay the county for its expenses as well as also reimbursing the farmers who took over caring for the cattle, with the remaining balance of the funds going to John Thomas.

"Hospitalized"

Meanwhile, John Thomas has been "hospitalized," Norton stated, and has had new court dates set.

The T-G has learned that Thomas is at Cumberland Heights, an alcohol and drug treatment center west of Nashville.

But when he does return, Thomas faces charges in both Circuit and General Sessions Court.

Thomas had his bond of over $1 million revoked earlier this month after Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell said that he appeared under the influence during a court appearance.

A drug screening conducted that day revealed the drug OxyContin in Thomas' system, along with two other medications for which he had prescriptions.

Thomas next date in Circuit Court was initially set for April 1, but Norton said that Russell has reset that for April 15 since it is unlikely that Thomas will be released by that time.

Thomas was indicted by the Bedford County grand jury last month and has been charged with two counts of DUI, three counts of animals running at large, failure to appear, theft under $500 for allegedly shoplifting from Walmart and theft over $10,000 related to the alleged theft of lumber.

He will also face the 722 counts of animal cruelty in General Sessions court, which will be heard by Lincoln County Judge Andy Myrick on April 16 since Rich has recused himself from John Thomas' cases.

Thomas also faces counts of animal cruelty and animals running at large in Coffee County and has a court date of April 6 set in that matter.

Deputies in that county had been responding to a number of reports of cattle running at large since November 2009 and said that carcasses were recently disposed of by Griffin Industries. The reports from Coffee County authorities led Bedford County lawmen to investigate the status of the cattle on Thomas' land here, which led to more cruelty counts.

But Thomas claimed that his cows in Bedford County were shot after he filed a $6 million federal lawsuit against the county, the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Randall Boyce and Deputies Ben Burris, Kent Jacobs and Kevin Roddy last month.

He claims that he has been pulled over approximately 20 times with no convictions and that deputies have harassed and kidnapped him.

The federal suit filed by Thomas claims that the county officers have conspired to arrest him and caused false imprisonment for retribution for his interfering with the relationship of Jacobs and his girlfriend.

Thomas repeatedly denied last month that his cows had been starved, even when asked about the results of autopsies Thomas himself requested for the cattle, which stated the cows were severely dehydrated and emaciated.