Judge rules Rheubin Taylor to remain Hamilton County Attorney

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Hamilton County judge ruled in favor of Rheubin Taylor in his case against Mayor Weston Wamp.

When Mayor Wamp took office, he attempted to fire Taylor as County Attorney.

The dispute has been ongoing since October 2022.

But now, the Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton ruled that Taylor’s contract is still valid.

His current four-year contract expires in 2025.

The County had also taken some of Taylor’s work-related equipment as well, but it has since been returned.

Taylor has not left office and has been fulfilling his duties despite the ongoing lawsuit.

Wamp is disappointed in the ruling. Here is his full statement:

“For decades, the county attorney has run a private legal firm out of his government office while being paid handsomely as a full-time county employee. After receiving legal opinions on our right to appoint and fire the county attorney from Dwight Tarwater, who has been confirmed as a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the state’s County Technical Assistance Service, we terminated Mr. Taylor. We’re disappointed by the court’s ruling and believe this high-profile case should have been handled outside Hamilton County by a judge who does not personally know the parties. We have not let this case get in the way of the important work of county government and will continue to work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for the people of Hamilton County.”

However, Taylor believes the ruling was correct. Here is his full statement:

“We believe that the Court was correct in upholding the sanctity of contracts when it found the County Attorney’s contract valid.  We hope that the parties will resolve themselves to work cohesively towards the best interests of this county.”