Judge Accused of Trying to Cover Up Sexual Relationships
Former Nashville Democratic judge, Cason “Casey” Moreland, was been accused of attempting to pay more than $6000 in an effort to get Natalie Amos to recant allegations she made to a local television station, WSMV, that he helped her to avoid making traffic fine payments and court fees while the two were in a sexual relationship. The money was stolen from a drug-court nonprofit, the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation, in order to pay Amos off and solicit the assistance of intermediaries. Amos has claimed that the judge had a habit of bribing women into relationships.
Text messages between the former judge the woman demonstrated the fact that Moreland helped her get out of a traffic ticket. He received sexual favors in return. The conversations made it clear the two had an intimate relationship. They read “Just used my super powers!!” And, “My desk still has butt marks on it!!” Another texted conversation reads, “Your fees; fines and court cost are taken care of! You now officially owe me !! Haha.”
Amos told the station that she wasn’t the only one Moreland had bribed. He had had sexual relationships with those in trouble with the law before. In fact, her friend, Leigh Terry, had also played the judge’s game. Terry later committed suicide, and it was during her suicide investigation that investigators discovered Moreland’s part in helping her ditch litigation. She had allegedly slept with the judge in order to receive leniency in a DUI case.
Moreland began swindling money from the foundation in spring 2016 to execute his plan. He later enlisted the help of an official at the foundation to bring him envelopes of cash paid by those in drug court receiving treatment at the center. This individual has also been accused of pocketing money and was asked by Moreland to deny allegations of embezzlement.
The court staffer, wearing a wire, contacted Moreland over the course of the investigation and said, “If this comes out, my life will be ruined” to which Moreland replied, “There’s no way it’ll come out unless you say something.”
When he came under investigation, Moreland approached his intermediary and asked that the individual get Amos to sign an affidavit stating she made up the entire story. He allegedly told his contact that if Amos didn’t sign, he would lose his job and likely be charged.
Moreland had wanted Amos to say that she was tricked into making a false report after being offered $2,500 by a reporter. As far as the “butt print” text was concerned, he wanted Amos to insist she had only jokingly sat on his desk at one point and left it, and he also wanted her to claim that some of the messages on her phone were auto-generated by an app. Moreland then instructed the informant to get Amos “liquored up real good before you bring [the affidavit] up,” according to prosecutors.
Moreland has denied the allegations against him and has claimed he did not engage in sexual relationships with defendants. He released a statement saying, “At no time did I intervene on their behalf during or after judgments were rendered by the appropriate courts.” The former judge is charged with obstruction of justice, theft from a program receiving federal funds, and committing an offense while on pretrial release.
Sources:
Ex-Nashville judge accused of paying hush money to cover up sex with defendants
Ex-judge is accused of stealing drug court money to pay woman to change sexual favors story
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