Who Snitched On Judge?

A lot of people are talking about Judge John Hagler, who is stepping down after someone decided to make a very personal matter very public.

Why did they do this, and is anyone investigating whether this is an attempt at blackmail?

Bradley County District Attorney General Steve Bebb says when he first learned that a compromising tape the judge made a couple years ago surfaced again, he wanted to handle the matter quietly.

But then someone decided to leak the contents of that tape to a reporter. While the contents have not been made public Judge Hagler and the D.A. say they felt as though their backs were up against a wall.

"This has got to be one of the most painful things I have ever done," Bebb said.

Bebb admits he doesn't like to be interviewed by the media but says he felt he had to say something on behalf of his friend and colleague of 30 years, Circuit Court Judge John Hagler.

The judge is leaving the bench December 31 because someone is now making a very personal tape he made two years ago a public affair.

Bebb said "I want to know several things. I want to know where this tape has been all this time, why it has surfaced now and how the TBI got it."

Most importantly Bebb and many people want to know if the person behind this fiasco intends to extort or blackmail Judge Hagler.

The Bradley County Bar Association sent a resolution to the U.S. Attorney's office, supporting the judge and with "requests that the United States Attorney's Office and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the release of tapes.."

We now know it was Judge Hagler's secretary who found the tape he made in his office back in November of 2005, and she sent it to the FBI and Chattanooga Police thinking a crime had been committed.

Those officials decided no crime was involved, that the tape was of a private matter and closed the investigation in December 2005.

But somehow a copy of that tape "surfaced" a few weeks ago within Chattanooga Police circles, and while someone there allegedly sent a copy of it back to the TBI for further investigation the contents of that tape were leaked to a Chattanooga reporter.

Bebb said when that reporter called him about the tape he talked with Judge Hagler about the latest development and Judge Hagler decided to step down.

Some in Bradley County speculated the leak came from the Bradley County Sheeiff's Department because Judge Hagler ruled in a recent lawsuit that the department will not get extra funds for personnel, raises and equipment.

Judge Hagler was scheduled to hear another similar case filed by Polk County Sheriff Bill Davis against county officials there in March. Now another judge will hear that case.

But Bebb said "I can assure you that we have investigated and no member of law enforcement in Cleveland or Bradley County was aware of this tape."