Default Judgments Sought In Probate Cases

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

John E. Clemmons

A court appointed attorney is asking a Davidson Probate judge to issue default judgments against John E. Clemmons, a disbarred Nashville lawyer who is serving a lengthy prison sentence.

Motions filed Friday in Davidson Probate Court charge that Clemmons misappropriated nearly $1 million in two cases.

The motions filed by Paul A. Gontarek also seek the imposition of punitive damages.

Gontarek was appointed to takeover the two cases after Clemmons entered guilty pleas to charges that he stole money from several persons while serving as a conservator.

Clemmons was sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison and is now serving out that sentence at a state correctional facility in Clifton, Tenn.

According to court filings, Clemmons admitted to stealing $771,000 from the estate of William Link and $172,506 from Donald Griggs. Clemmons had been appointed as a conservator for Griggs.

The Gontarek motion in the Link case charges that Clemmons engaged in "egregious misconduct" when he "converted the estate assets to his own use and benefit through dominion and control in defiance of the rights of the beneficiaries of the estate."

In the Griggs case Gontarek noted that Clemmons, despite being served with the complaint "failed to appear, plead or otherwise defend against the complaint."

In addition to the Link and Griggs' cases, Clemmons entered guilty pleas in two other cases, one in Davidson County and the other in Rutherford.

A hearing on the motions has been scheduled for Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. before Probate Judge David "Randy" Kennedy.

Gontarek is also seeking to recover money from Metro government, charging that had court officials properly monitored the cases, Clemmons would not have been able to extract the money. Metro recently asked the court to consolidate some of those cases.

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Default Judgments Sought In Probate Cases