Carter County Sheriff’s Department detective Lt. Tim Horne is the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association that will help pay some of his cost of attending law school.
Horne was nominated for the scholarship by Sheriff Chris Mathes in recognition of his hard work and dedication to both the CCSD and his work at the Nashville School of Law. Horne is in his second year of the school’s four-year program, designed for working people, or people who cannot attend full-time law school.
“I feel honored to have been selected,” Horne said.
Horne still works full-time as a CCSD investigator. He had his work schedule rearranged to allow him to make the twice-weekly trip to Nashville for his law school classes. He uses his personal vehicle and has not received any funding or assistance toward the classes from the CCSD.
He said at times it was difficult to maintain his work duties, his personal family life and his school work, but that in the end it would be worth it because the law degree would bring him more options in the future.
“Retirement comes eventually,” Horne said. “I love the law. After 22 years, it is all I know. There is life after law enforcement. I am giving myself options beyond the badge, so when the time comes to walk away I will be able to do something else. When I have my law degree, I can teach at the collegiate level or in a police academy setting. I will also have the opportunity to practice law.”
Mathes said he hoped Horne would stay with the CCSD for many years. He said having an employee in the department with a law degree would be a benefit when preparing cases for court.
“I have always felt it was important to promote education and training for employees,” Mathes said.
He noted that more employees in the department held college degrees than they had in the past.