Opinion ID: 2978761
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sims’ Work as a Confidential Informant

Text: Prior to trial, Kim Sims worked for the Sparta Police Department as a paid confidential informant (“CI”). On February 17, 1995, about a month after Irwin was shot, Sims was an informant against Irwin’s sister and was paid $70 for her cooperation. Irwin’s sister, Debra Irwin, later served as a witness at Robinson’s trial. Sims worked as a CI for the Sparta Police Department on at least seven other occasions and was paid each time. Sims also worked as a CI for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (“PCSO”) and the Tennessee No. 09-5243 Robinson v. Mills Page 5 Bureau of Investigation (“TBI”), both of which spearheaded the investigation in the Robinson/Irwin case. On January 25, 1996—eighteen days before Robinson’s trial commenced—Sims aided a Putnam County detective and a TBI agent in making a controlled buy from Wade McClure, who also later served as a witness at Robinson’s trial. The district attorney appointed a special prosecutor from another district because of Robinson and 1 Delores Smith’s ties to local law enforcement. Nonetheless, Robinson’s lawyers were not informed of Sims’ activity as a CI or that Sims had informed against two of the State’s witnesses—Debra Irwin and Wade McClure.