Compromised Justice: The Downfall of Judge Cason "Casey" Moreland
For years Davidson County General Sessions Judge Cason Moreland had been exploiting his authority for personal gain. However, a 2017 FBI investigation would be the beginning of his downfall
Background
The judicial system, despite its flaws, is one of America’s oldest and most sacred institutions. The judges who preside over its courts are tasked with upholding the law impartially and ensuring that justice is served. The authority of their position carries a heavy responsibility, directly impacting the lives of those who stand before them.
For Nashville, Tennessee-based Judge Cason “Casey” Moreland, this authority became a tool of power and corruption. The former Davidson County General Sessions Judge was charged with abusing his authority to exploit others while benefiting himself.
Cason “Casey” Moreland
Cason “Casey” Moreland earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin, graduating in 1980. After completing his undergraduate studies, Moreland pursued his J.D. at the Nashville School of Law.
After law school, Moreland worked in private practice until 1995, when he was elected to the bench in Davidson County to serve in District X. According to his 2014 election profile, Judge Moreland was a husband and father of two and described himself as a “Moderate Democrat.”
Judge Moreland served on the Davidson County General Sessions Court and was re-elected in 1998, 2006, and 2014. As a judge in the General Sessions Court, Judge Moreland saw a wide variety of cases. In time, he would come to be regarded as a key fixture of the local judicial system.
Because his position involved handing out sentences that can carry such lasting consequences, Judge Moreland was expected to hold himself to a strong ethical standard. Given his numerous re-elections, it seems the public believed he was doing exactly that. Yet, behind closed doors, Judge Moreland was not operating in a manner befitting of his “Honorable” status.
Illicit Affairs
On May 5th, 2016, a local Nashville woman, Leigh Terry, was found dead in her apartment downtown. Her death appeared to be a suicide, but as with any unattended death, authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case. In doing so, they uncovered an interesting connection – Leigh Terry knew Judge Moreland, and perhaps a bit better than he let on.
In 2013, Leigh was facing a DUI charge. She was ordered to appear in court before Judge Moreland, but he recused himself from handling her case due to what he called a “minimal acquaintance” with her. If this were the truth, Judge Moreland would have been operating in good faith and in accordance with the standards of practicing fair and impartial law.
In reality, Judge Moreland was, or would soon be, having an affair with Leigh Terry. According to her friends, she had reported that her relationship with Judge Moreland was a transactional one. Her friends later told police that Leigh had engaged in sexual acts with Judge Moreland to escape the repercussions of a previous DUI charge.
Though another General Sessions judge sentenced Leigh to five days in prison, she would never actually serve any time. Shortly after her sentence was delivered, Leigh’s father made a $1000 donation to Judge Moreland’s 2014 re-election campaign. Judge Moreland was also the one who signed off on the paperwork that would end Leigh’s probation two months earlier than scheduled.
In 2015, Natalie Amos, a friend of Leigh’s, was introduced to Judge Moreland. Natalie, facing legal troubles of her own, was told that Judge Moreland could magically make her problems go away. With traffic fine payments stacking up and court fees on top of that, Natalie was willing to hear what Judge Moreland could offer her. In exchange for sexual favors, Judge Moreland would use his “powers” to make Natalie’s legal issues disappear.
Federal Investigation
Things were going well for Judge Moreland until Leigh Terry died. After her death, Natalie Amos made a shocking decision. Natalie went to a local Nashville news outlet, WSMV, and told her story. She shared the details of how Judge Moreland had been using his position as a presiding judge in Davidson County to elicit sexual favors from women facing legal troubles. Natalie's going to the media marked the beginning of Judge Moreland’s eventual downfall.
In January 2017, the FBI officially opened a formal investigation into Judge Moreland’s apparent history of corruption. When they did, they would uncover far more than the reported sexual misconduct and abuse of his judicial power.
The day after the investigation was opened, Natalie Amos agreed to an interview with the FBI, and she told them everything, with text messages from Judge Moreland to prove it. Investigators uncovered that Judge Moreland had attempted to bribe Natalie with $6000 to recant her story. What’s more, this money had been stolen from the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation, a local drug court nonprofit group.
Judge Moreland went further than attempting to bribe Natalie Amos. He enlisted the help of an intermediary, a semi-pro wrestler by the name of James Pedigo, to make sure Natalie’s story was silenced one way or another.
He instructed Pedigo to deliver the demands for Natalie’s retraction, but before bringing it up, to make sure Natalie was intoxicated. He also attempted to have drugs planted on her, then have her pulled over in a staged traffic stop to destroy any credibility she may still have.
Unfortunately for Judge Moreland, his intermediary had recently become a confidential informant for the FBI. He was wearing a wire during his conversations with Moreland, which only added further evidence to the mounting federal case against him.
Arrest and Conviction
On March 28th, 2017, Judge Moreland was arrested on federal obstruction-of-justice charges. News of his unsavory behavior had spread, and the calls for his resignation had grown. After appearing in court, Judge Moreland submitted to the requests for him to resign, requests which were bolstered by Mayor Megan Barry. Following his resignation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Brown allowed Moreland to be released under home confinement.
As the investigation continued, federal investigators untangled the web of corruption surrounding Moreland. They discovered that he had embezzled some $15,000 from the nonprofit organization meant to help those suffering from addiction seek treatment.
Moreland also continued, though stripped of his judicial title, to interfere in the investigation, ordering a drug court director to destroy all records that would provide a paper trail for his pattern of embezzlement. In March of 2018, federal investigators had seen enough. Moreland was arrested again, and this time, he wouldn’t be getting off so easily.
Among other things, the disgraced judge pled guilty to obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and stealing money from an organization receiving federal funds. He accepted a plea agreement and, in doing so, was forced to admit that he had been embezzling money since early 2016.
He was also forced to admit that he ordered the destruction of records proving his guilt. Finally, on November 30th, 2018, Moreland was sentenced to 44 months in prison, along with restitution of $18,000 and a forfeiture of $13,500.
Closing Thoughts
The story of Judge Cason “Casey” Moreland serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of authority abused and power gone unchecked, and a reminder that even those sworn to uphold the law are not above corruption. The deplorable actions of this disgraced former judge represent a profound breach of trust, yet another stain on the reputation of the legal system in this country.
This case raises questions about how long such actions can go undetected or unaddressed before something is done to rectify the injustice.
What remains clear is that Moreland’s fall from grace represents more than one man’s misconduct; instead, it is a reflection of the broader questions of ethics and the responsibility for those in positions of power, and the consequences that must follow when those ethics and responsibilities are betrayed.
Sources:
“Tennessee Judge Faces Federal Corruption Charges.” FOX 5 Atlanta, 28 Mar. 2017, www.fox5atlanta.com/news/tennessee-judge-faces-federal-corruption-charges
Former Nashville General Sessions Judge Sentenced to Federal Prison. 30 Nov. 2018, https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/former-nashville-general-sessions-judge-sentenced-federal-prison-obstruction-and-theft
Hitson, Hadley. “Disgraced Former Judge Casey Moreland Left Behind Trail of Corruption: Notorious Nashville.” The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025, https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2025/07/17/nashville-fbi-casey-moreland-investigation/
“Judge Pleads Guilty to Scheming to Plant Drugs.” CBS News, 25 May 2018, www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/judge-pleads-guilty-to-scheming-to-plant-drugs
Teller, Sara E. “Judge Accused of Trying to Cover up Sexual Relationships - Legal Reader.” Legal Reader, 28 Mar. 2018, www.legalreader.com/judge-accused-trying-cover-sexual-relationships