Parris indicted for extorting Judge Ross
Wealthy Grundy County businessman Jerral Parris was indicted Friday for allegedly extorting Judge Larry Ross in an attempt to reduce the amount of money he would have to pay to his ex-wife.
Parris, 62, was indicted by the Warren County grand jury on the charge of extortion. He will be arraigned before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley later this month.
Parris was indicted for allegedly threatening General Sessions Judge Larry Ross and his wife, Tami Ross, because he was unhappy over the amount the court awarded his wife in their divorce. Tami Ross represented Parris’ ex-wife which reportedly prompted Parris to make veiled threats to her, both in documents sent to her office and a recorded phone call. Further alleged threats were recorded by Judge Ross when he called to question Parris as to what he wanted.
During preliminary hearing, which featured secret recordings of conversations between the Rosses and Parris, a special judge found no evidence Parris ever threatened any violence or harm toward the Rosses, throwing out weapons charges brought when lawmen found a gun in the trunk of Parris’ vehicle parked outside Ross’ office. However, the court found probable cause to believe Parris had threatened to do economic and political damage to Judge Ross if he did not intervene in his divorce case, based on the conversations recorded by Ross.
Parris, who maintains he did nothing wrong, has launched a Web site and his own newspaper since being arrested for extortion. The newspaper, which does contain references about Judge Ross, is called the Front Page News and is available locally in black newspaper boxes around town.