Nurse Robinson's Appeal Falls On Deaf Ears



The former Cannon County Jail nurse who pled guilty to stealing over 30,000 pills and well over $10,000.00 from Cannon County taxpayers lost an important appeal Wednesday.

Kyra Robinson had appealed Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, III’s denial of judicial diversion following her guilty plea to one count of theft over $500.00 and 35 counts of fraud last year.

Robinson had petitioned the Court for judicial diversion, which entitles a defendant to have their record expunged following completion of probation rather than the imposition of a jail sentence, but in the face of fierce opposition from Assistant District Attorney David Puckett, Sheriff Billy Nichols and County Executive Mike Gannon, Chancellor Corlew refused to allow the judicial diversion and instead sentenced Robinson to prison.

Following Corlew’s ruling, Robinson filed an appeal to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Nashville. In upholding Corlew’s ruling, the Court of Appeals wrote that neither the District Attorney nor Chancellor Corlew abused their discretion in denying diversion.

In its opinion, the Court cited the fact that Robinson was in a position of trust as a county employee and that there was a need to deter similar conduct as justifying denial of judicial diversion.

Corlew sentenced Robinson to a total of 8 years in prison. He suspended that sentence and placed her on probation to the State of Tennessee for the balance of her sentence. She was also ordered to pay the court costs and restitution to Cannon County.

Robinson has time to decide whether she will appeal the Court of Criminal Appeals and try to get her case heard by the Supreme Court. If she fails to file an appeal to the Supreme Court, Corlew’s decision will stand.