DUANE SHERRILL Editor

Felony charges alleging official misconduct against former Tullahoma Alderman Kurt Glick have been dismissed, ending a three-year-long saga in which the special prosecutor in his case was hit with felony charges and forced to resign.

The order dismissing the case was signed by Special Judge Larry (Bart) Stanley of the 31^st Judicial District. The special prosecutor assigned to the case, John Jesse Emerson of the District Attorney’s Conference, signed off on the dismissal of all charges against Glick.

Glick was to face trial last September on two counts of official misconduct for allegedly not revealing he had a conflict of interest–a civil suit pending–when he voted on a measure that impacted the city’s former human resources director, Casta Brice. Prosecutors say his actions abused his power, while the defense maintained he was doing his elected duty and voting on a measure as an alderman. He was indicted on two counts, but his case was placed under the oversight of 31st District Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley due to potential conflicts with using a local judge and the local district attorney, Craig Northcott.

However, before original Special Prosecutor Christopher Stanford of Warren County could bring the case to trial, he was himself indicted on felony charges for opening fire in a residential neighborhood in Smithville during the pursuit of alleged murderers. Stanford ended up resigning from his post as part of an agreement to avoid prosecution. That resignation left the Glick case in legal limbo until its conclusion this week.

In light of the dismissal, just one week after Glick bid farewell to the aldermanic council after not seeking reelection, the former alderman released a statement.

His comment about the dismissal in its entirety reads:

“After three difficult years, the criminal charges against Kurt Glick have been dismissed, bringing this long and painful matter to an end.

“Kurt has maintained his innocence from the beginning. For three years, he lived under the weight of serious criminal accusations while he and his attorneys challenged both the allegations against him and significant constitutional issues raised during the investigation, including the seizure and lengthy retention of his personal cell phone.

“Kurt is grateful that the State has now dismissed the case and that he can finally put this ordeal behind him. He is especially thankful to attorney Lee Davis and the team at Davis & Hoss for their steadfast representation, and to the family, friends, and members of the community who stood beside him throughout this process.

“This has been an extraordinarily difficult three years for me and my family. I have always maintained my innocence, and I am grateful that the case has finally been dismissed. I look forward to putting this behind us, regaining our privacy, and moving forward with our lives.”

With the felony charges behind him, Glick can now pursue his federal lawsuit against the city of Tullahoma, which was placed on hold while his criminal case dragged through the court system. His suit claims age discrimination against the city and some of its leaders, maintaining he was forced out of his long-time job as parks and rec director.

Glick said he could not comment on the federal suit at this time.