Damon Lawrence roanecounty.com

 

 

Booher, a disbarred attorney from Harriman, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on one count of enticement and one count of felony sexual offense against a minor while on a sex offender registry.

He was arrested on Friday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton later that day for his initial appearance and arraignment. Guyton appointed federal defender Benjamin Sharp to represent him.

“The court finds after review of the defendant’s sworn financial affidavit that the defendant may not have the funds to retain an attorney of the defendant’s choice,” Guyton said in the order appointing Booher counsel.

Booher, 64, pleaded not guilty in the case. His trial date was set for Nov. 25.

He waived a detention hearing and is being held without bond at the Knox County Jail pending trial.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Booher after he pleaded guilty on two counts of statutory rape in Loudon County Criminal Court in 2014. The victim in that case was 14.

Booher didn’t go to prison, but he was required to register as a sex offender.

In March of this year, Booher found himself back in trouble when he was arrested on state charges of violating the sexual offender registry and solicitation of aggravated statutory rape.

That case is still pending.

Linda Flanagan, a 59-year-old grandmother from Rockwood, is serving a 90-day sentence in the Roane County Jail for shooting at Booher.

That incident happened two days before he got arrested in March.

Flanagan’s attorney, Pat Cooley of Kingston, said Booher’s arrest on federal charges had him contemplating filing a motion calling for Flanagan’s release from jail.