by Sharon Rondeau
(Nov. 1, 2021) — In another turn of events, an order issued by Shelby County, TN Division III Criminal Court Judge Robert “Bobby” Carter for Jason Lamar White to travel from New Mexico to Tennessee for a hearing on Thursday has reportedly been canceled.
A second transport order for Tennessee state inmate Montez Mullins, who confessed to the crime for which he, White and another individual were convicted, also appears to have been canceled as of October 28, 2021.
White is a Tennessee inmate but in May 2019 was transferred to New Mexico at the recommendation of District Attorney General Amy Weirich. Once there, his mother Kimberly told us, he had no access to Tennessee law, making his self-representation in his post-conviction petition and appeals that much more difficult.
Kimberly learned of the latest development Thursday afternoon from her son’s “elbow” counsel, Shae Atkinson, who said he had been informed of the change but not yet seen the orders. As of Tuesday, Atkinson had said, he had expected to appear in court with Jason.
A request for comment sent to Atkinson over the weekend received no response.
In October 2017, White was convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in a school zone while he was finishing a 21-year sentence for burglary committed at the age of 18. On February 2, 2016, his girlfriend, Kristina Cole, retrieved a package from her porch which the Bartlett Police Department left in a “controlled delivery” following a tip from authorities in Visalia, California, where the package originated, alerting them to its contents.
The package bore a nonexistent Memphis address which resembled, but did not match, Cole’s. With no prior criminal record, Cole received a 13.5-year sentence, while White received a five-decade sentence without any chance of parole, rendering him a prisoner for life.
Mullins was first called as a defense witness by White’s attorney, Claiborne Ferguson, but Assistant District Attorney Christopher Scruggs later charged him as a co-defendant. Mullins eventually was convicted and received an additional 30 years to the sentence he was already serving for an unrelated crime.
On October 26, The Post & Email reported that while White hoped to be transported to Shelby County to present the arguments set forth in his post-conviction petition and indications were that the trip would take place, “whether or not he will be able to argue his case in person is as yet unknown.”
According to information Kimberly received from Atkinson late Thursday, Carter canceled the transfer orders because of White’s recently-filed second Motion to Recuse directed at Carter and the 30th Judicial District.
As Atkinson explained it, Carter was obligated to rule on that motion before proceeding farther. According to Carter, he would not be prepared to hold the hearing on November 4, Atkinson said.
Thursday’s hearing was “reset” without explanation from August 27.
In late July, Kimberly was a guest of David Tulis of the “Nooganomics” radio show speaking about Jason’s case. She will again appear on Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 PM EDT. The show airs weekdays from 3:00 to 6:00 PM EDT.
Tulis’s website focuses on local markets, government corruption and constitutional violations.
Update, Nov. 4, 2021: Kimberly White’s November 3, 2021 interview with Tulis is here.