Franklin Delano Jeffries, an East Tennessee soldier accused of threats appears set for trial

Franklin Delano Jeffries, an East Tennessee soldier accused of threats appears set for trial | wbir.com


After a final motions hearing Wednesday, an East Tennessee soldier accused of making threats to Knox County Chancellor Michael Moyers appears set for trial.

Franklin Delano Jeffries is accused of making a video and posting it to You Tube with a threat to hurt or kill the Knox County chancellor.

In a federal courtroom Tuesday, Jeffries' attorneys argued Facebook message the active-duty member of the ARMY sent in July 2010 should not be permitted as evidence in the trial.

Further, it appears Jeffries' defense team will make a point to show Jeffries never delivered the threat to Moyers, instead he shared the video with his own friends. Jeffries has a history of posting a number of videos on YouTube, many of which he made in an attempt to be entertaining or silly, according to his family.

The war veteran's family says the video mentioning Moyers came on the heels of what was more than a decade long custody trial with Jeffries' ex-wife. Earlier this month, Charlotte Jeffries, Franklin's mother told a Subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives complications surrounding custody and visitation rights played a role in her son's mental health and well-being.

Charlotte Jeffries spoke in support of House Bill 1698, a piece of legislation that would ensure grandparents the right to visit their grandchildren.



"My son has PTSD, He listened to some therapists who told him to vent his frustrations. They say he got PTSD not only from the ARMY but from the fact that he had to fight the parent alienation of the child for those 13 years that he was in court," Charlotte Jeffries told the representatives.

Jeffries' trial is scheduled to start Tuesday and expected to last 2-3 days.