Griffin Korn, 25, was arrested just before midnight on Thursday, with a heroin needle in his arm, at the Sonic at 1565 Gallatin Pk, which had closed just an hour before. Korn was sitting in his silver Mazda, with a debit card sitting on a round mirror on the dashboard, which had heroin on it, too. He could have received a citation, it was the officer’s discretion, however he indicated that he had no intention of returning to Nashville for court. Accompanying Korn, lying on the ground outside his car, was Joseph “Clay Iaquinta”, 23, who was also arrested for public intoxication (type: unknown).
Per an affidavit, when Officer Richard noticed the silver Mazda parking in a parking lot of the closed Sonic, he noted that the area was known for burglaries and thefts, so he made consensual contact with Griffin Korn. Immediately upon contact, he observed in plain view on the dashboard a circular mirror and debit card with a powder substance on them, and the Korn had a needle in his left arm, that the officer had him place on the dashboard.
Griffin Korn was read his miranda rights and admitted to the powder substance and liquid in the needle being heroin. Korn stated that between the heroin in the needle and on the mirror, it was approximately .5 grams of heroin. Griffin was charged with:
- UNLAWFUL USE OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA / T.C.A. 39-17-425
- UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE / T.C.A. 39-17-418
Griffin Korn told the officer that he would like to speak to the magistrate – of course this is something that happens in every arrest, during the setting of the bond/arraignment. In Nashville this is done via a video hearing from across the street. We would have thought that Korn would have known that speaking to a magistrate was a normal part of the booking/arrest procedure, since he attended Kent State University Law / Pre-Law a few years ago, and successfully appealed a previous arrest in his hometown in Ohio, proving that the city charged him with the wrong statute, and he was guilty of a different one, winning the appeal.
Of course, he DID get to speak to the magistrate, and due to his obvious flight risk after stating his intention of not returning for court, his bond was set at $2500 for the misdemeanor charges. He attended a bond review hearing on Friday, and his bond was NOT reduced. Griffin Korn remains in jail as of Saturday morning, and his case will be heard on Wednesday 12/06 in front of Judge Higgins, who will not have any antics in his courtroom.
The other person at the scene, who was with Korn, per the police reports, was Josephy ‘Clay’ Iaquinta. Officers observed Clay lying down in the parking lot of the Sonic. Initially officers believed he required medical attention due to his demeanor, however it was quickly clear he was just “heavily intoxicated” per multiple officer reports. Clay Iaquinta had bloodshot, watery, constricted eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Clay stated he had not consumed any alcohol or narcotics, however due to finding several needles in the vehicle of Korn (above) along with the heroin, Clay was taken into custody for public intoxication for his own safety.
Court Affidavit – Griffin Korn
ON 11/30/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 2340 HRS, OFFICER’S OBSERVED A SILVER MAZDA SEDAN OCCUPIED BY THE DEFENDANT AT A CLOSED BUSINESS IN AN AREA KNOWN FOR BURGLARIES AND THEFTS. OFFICER’S MADE CONSENSUAL CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT AND IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED IN PLAIN VIEW ON THE DASHBOARD A CIRCULAR MIRROR AND DEBIT CARD WITH A POWDER SUBSTANCE ON THEM. THE DEFENDANT WAS IN POSSESSION OF A NEEDLE IN HIS LEFT ARM THAT OFFICER’S HAD HIM SET ON THE DASHBOARD. OFFICER’S HAD THE DEFENDANT EXIT THE VEHICLE AND THE DEFENDANT WAS READ MIRANDA RIGHTS. THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED TO THE POWDER SUBSTANCE AND LIQUID IN THE NEEDLE BEING HEROIN. THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT BETWEEN THE HEROIN IN THE NEEDLE AND ON THE MIRROR, THAT IT WAS APPROXIMATELY .5 GRAMS OF HEROIN. THE DEFENDANT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND TRANSPORTED TO BOOKING DUE TO THE REASONABLE LIKELIHOOD THE DEFENDANT WOULD FAIL TO APPEAR IN COURT BEING THAT THE DEFENDANT IS FROM OUT OF TOWN AND WAS NOT PLANNING ON COMING BACK FOR COURT. THE DEFENDANT ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE MAGISTRATE.
Court Affidavit – Joseph Iaquinta
ON 12/1/2017 OFFICER PETLEWSKI OBSERVED A MALE, DEFENDANT JOSEPH IAQUINTA, LAYING DOWN IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CLOSED SONIC DRIVE IN LOCATED AT 1565 GALLATIN PKE N. OFFICER PETLEWSKI STATED THAT AS HE PULLED UP HE FEARED THAT THAT DEFENDANT MIGHT NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION, HOWEVER IT WAS QUICKLY OBSERVED THAT THE DEFENDANT JUST WAS HEAVILY INTOXICATED. THE DEFENDANT HAD BLOOD SHOT, WATERY, CONSTRICTED EYES, HEAVILY SLURRED SPEECH, AND WAS UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT CONSUMED ANY ALCOHOL OR NARCOTICS, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO THE DEFENDANT WAS WITH WAS OBSERVED IN POSSESSION OF SEVERAL NEEDLES, AND A WHITE POWDERY SUBSTANCE WHICH HE STATED UNDER MIRANDA, WAS HEROIN. DUE TO THE DEFENDANT BEING SO INTOXICATED HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION, FOR HIS OWN SAFETY.
