Parris says he’s innocent of charges
Saying prosecutors better dig in for a long fight, the Grundy County businessman accused of extorting Judge Larry Ross said he is not guilty of the crimes for which he is charged.
“The charges are a panic on the part of the judge,” said Jerral Parris during an telephone interview with the Southern Standard after his release from jail on bond Thursday afternoon. “I’m innocent. I’m not a criminal.”
Parris, a successful real estate developer who moved to the Altamont area from Mobile, Ala., began a cabin estate endeavor in Grundy County, developing a mountain village there. In addition to his real estate interests, Parris also says he is the head of a multimedia industry. Parris noted his side of the story will be detailed in-depth in a Web site his multimedia group intends to launch in the coming weeks.
“It’s going to be a big one,” Parris said of the case. “It’s going to last a long time. A battle of the behemoths.”
While not going into the specifics of the case, Parris hinted his arrest on the charges was part of a bigger picture which will come out over time.
“Let me say four names, Jesus Christ, Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandella,” Parris said. “They all went to jail before they achieved their goals.”
While prosecutors say Parris extorted Judge Ross and his wife, Tami Poston Ross, to gain favor in his divorce case with his wife, Irina Parris, the defendant contends his arrest is tied to a higher conspiracy, having to do with the elections of 2000 and the upcoming elections of 2006. The specifics, Parris said, will be listed on his Web site.