Perjury charges against detective in rape case dismissed
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Due to a technicality, a judge has dismissed perjury charges against a Tennessee detective accused of lying under oath about a rape case involving high school basketball players.
Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz said the juvenile court where the detective’s testimony occurred didn’t have legal authority to hold a preliminary hearing.
Gatlinburg detective Rodney Burns had faced two counts of aggravated perjury based on testimony about a freshman Ooltewah (OOL’-teh-wah) High School basketball player who prosecutors said was sexually assaulted by teammates. Burns faced two counts of aggravated perjury in Hamilton County because prosecutors said he made “untruthful statements” during a February 2016 hearing in which he said the assault had been blown out of proportion.
Burns’ attorney applauded the dismissal in a statement and maintained that the detective hadn’t committed perjury.
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