Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Grand Jury Indicts Memphis City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove

Posted by Flyer Staff on Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 10:26 AM

Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Wednesday that the state grand jury for Shelby County had indicted Memphis City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove-Chalmers on charges related to allegedly submitting false information to receive a duplicate Tennessee driver license and allegedly driving while her license is revoked.

The grand jury returned an indictment for unlawfully using a state issued driver license (a class C misdemeanor) and fraudulently obtaining a driver license (a class A misdemeanor). The Tennessee Highway Patrol filed these charges against Fullilove-Chalmers last October. A judge in general sessions criminal court sent the case to the grand jury following a preliminary hearing. According to the indictment, on March 25, 2008, Fullilove-Chalmers requested “a duplicate license from a driver license examiner on the basis that her driver license was lost when she was aware that her driver license was not lost, but had been seized by a deputy from the DeSoto County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office.”

The grand jury also indicted Fullilove-Chalmers for a separate offense allegedly committed on March 18, 2009. The grand jury returned an indictment for driving while her license was revoked (a class B misdemeanor). According to the indictment, Fullilove-Chalmers “unlawfully and knowingly” drove her car on the premises of MIFA, located at 910 Vance Avenue at a time when her “privilege to do so was revoked.”

Tennessee Highway Patrol officers took Fullilove-Chalmers into custody Wednesday morning and she is being held on a $5,000 bond for the most recent charge. She is already in custody on $200 bond for the charges filed against her last October. An arraignment date in criminal court has not been set.

Additionally, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has seized Fullilove-Chalmer’s vehicle in accordance with Tennessee law for a driving while license revoked charge.

“It is our position that Ms. Fullilove has broken the law and continued to drive in Tennessee when she clearly did not have the right to do so. We intend to hold her accountable in accordance with our state laws,” District Attorney Gibbons said.

The maximum punishment for a class A misdemeanor is 11 months, 29 days in prison and a $2,500 fine; a class B misdemeanor carries a six month maximum sentence and a $500 fine; and a class C misdemeanor carries a 30 day maximum sentence and a $50 fine. Assistant District Attorney Bill Bright is handling this case. Bright is the chief prosecutor in the D.A.’s White Collar Crime Prosecution Unit.

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Pray or think good thoughts for this city. The City of Good Abode.

Posted by tomguleff on July 8, 2009 at 10:56 AM | Report this comment

Nah. Just move. It's time.

Posted by Packrat on July 8, 2009 at 11:19 AM | Report this comment

I'm sorry but Memphis is the city of violent crime and indifferent government and drunk politicians.
We DO have a case of malfeasance, being drunk while in council meetings and repeatedly over medicated or drunk in council meeting and voting on issues while in that impaired condition, and witnessed by TV cameras, is malfeasance to say the very least.
Other council people not doing anything about catches them on camera not acting in the city's best interest either.
STUPID.

REMOVE HER NOW!
WHAT the hell is taking these spineless people so long, are they going to wait for her to die in front of a camera?

Posted by Bubbah on July 9, 2009 at 8:55 AM | Report this comment

You know, having a city council person still on duty while they have been arrested for DUI comes off as insanely stupid, to have them still on the council while indicted is doubly stupid, insane, not much more than this, other than Willy's incredibly stupid recent antics could bury this city further.
THE NATION WATCHES,
and we never fail to disappoint those looking to see a carnival of incredible fools destroying a city while everyone stands idly by, doing nothing, watching it all fall, under he guise of support.

Posted by Bubbah on July 9, 2009 at 9:00 AM | Report this comment

This indictment will be but a scratch for Ms. Fullilove, but I hope it opens up peoples eyes about the problems with the government in this city, but then again they've kept Herenton in office and he is waiting for a Federal Indictment. I'm with Tom, this city needs all the help it can get.

Posted by HollyHollyHello on July 9, 2009 at 9:45 AM | Report this comment

my thanks to janis for opening the door for a scofflaw like me to be on the council

Posted by sbanbury on July 9, 2009 at 10:02 AM | Report this comment

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