Possession of drug paraphernalia is a crime in Tennessee. Convictions can result in local jail or prison time, a criminal record which can make it hard to find a job or a place to live, fines and court costs, and the need to work with a probation officer on release from custody. There are often [...]

Tennessee theft crimes are not limited to the taking of cash, property, or someone’s identity. A common example of theft of services included obtaining food or beverages from a restaurant and then leaving without paying for the meal or drinks. Another example includes staying in a hotel and then leaving without paying for the accommodations. [...]

DIY rape kits have been developed in response to concerns that many rape victims don’t go to the emergency room of their local hospitals. ER staffs are trained to provide rape testing for victims. The emergency room tests are reliable, the staff understands how to implement them, and the evidence is then kept securely by [...]

The Washington Examiner reported on May 17, 2019, that the bipartisan crime reform bill passed in December 2018 will face scrutiny this July. The law, called the First Step Act, requires that nearly 4,000 federal inmates be released in July based on their good behavior. Initially, the First Step Act was due to release the [...]

Some professions require that a resident of a state obtain a license in order to practice. Common examples include lawyers, doctors, nurses, and teachers. Generally, professionals must first pass a state licensing exam in order to obtain their license. The professionals must also complete forms where they acknowledge that they have “clean” records. The professionals [...]

Comprehensive Pain Specialists is one of the biggest pain management chains in the country – with 60 offices in 11 states. State Senator Steve Dickerson is the founder of the company. The business shut down a year ago, leaving many patients without their medical records and searching for new doctors. According to a report in [...]

Date rape tests are currently performed at state crime labs and at hospitals. A BuzzFeed News study has revealed that the drug testing done in cases of date rape is unreliable. There are no current nationwide standards for: The types of screenings that should be used The range of drugs that should be tested The [...]

Legislators in Tennessee will soon be considering new laws that will help felons who have paid their debt to society have their voting rights restored, according to a recent story by AP News. Two organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and Americans for Prosperity, often with different viewpoints, are supporting the legislation. The [...]

The Tennessean reported Governor Bill Haslam, in one of his final acts as Governor, granted clemency to 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown. Ms. Brown was sentenced to life in jail for killing a Nashville real estate agent. She was sentenced when she was 16 years old. The agent, whom she didn’t know, picked her up “at an [...]

The US Supreme Court recently ruled that limits must be placed on the practice known as civil forfeiture. Civil forfeiture is the taking of private property, including homes, cars, and cash, that were used to commit a crime. While the aim of civil forfeiture laws was to prevent the properties from being used for other [...]