According to a recent Memphis Commercial Appeal article, eleven individuals have been charged this year with taking a firearm into the Memphis International Airport. Many, if not all of them likely were travelers who simply forgot that they left their handgun in their carry-on bag. When these travelers got to the security gate and put…
Diversion is the process of having a criminal charge removed from a client’s permanent record. Where I practice in Tennessee there are two types of diversion: judicial and pre-trial. Pre-trial diversion is also known as Attorney General diversion, because the A.G. (also called the D.A. or the prosecutor) has the sole power to grant it….
Tennessee’s statutory rape law is found in Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 5 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. It is a complex offense that contains numerous elements and criminalizes many different activities, and the penalties can be harsh. There are actually three types of statutory rape in Tennessee: mitigated statutory rape, statutory rape, and aggravated…
Sex crimes in the state of Tennessee are codified in Title 39, Chapter 13 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. These crimes can include rape, aggravated rape, sexual battery, statutory rape, solicitation of a minor, and patronizing prostitution. Perhaps the most serious consequence of being convicted of a Tennessee Sex Crime is having to go on…
Judicial diversion is the process in criminal law where a person pleads guilty to a crime and can later have the charge removed (or expunged) from their record following a period of probation. It is granted by the judge, hence its name. This article will discuss the process and requirements of judicial diversion, but be…
Tennessee’s offense of solicitation of a minor is found in the Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39, Chapter 5, Part 9. Title 39 contains all of the state’s criminal offenses, and Chapter 5 is for sex crimes. Solicitation of a minor is a serious and complex offense because it contains so many elements and encompasses numerous…
People in Memphis, Tennessee often want to get an order of protection against someone, or they have been served with an order of protection by someone else and need to know what to do. This article will examine what these orders actually are, what are the consequences of having one, and who is involved. I…
Being charged with drunk driving is a serious criminal matter. Defendants will be looking at mandatory jail time, fines, loss of license, and a permanent conviction on their record. Because of these consequences it is important to review the facts for any weaknesses in the state’s case. The following are some ways in which a…
A criminal conviction in the state of Tennessee can have serious consequences. Under Tennessee law, for instance, misdemeanors are punishable up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, and the minimum punishment for a felony is one year. Punishment and sentencing for Tennessee crimes are set out in Titles 39 and 40 of the…
