Criminal Defense Law

A new state law has expanded asset forfeiture for certain felony crimes such as kidnapping, murder, and rape. HB2271 went into effect on July 1, 2022, and is one of the first of its kind in the country. WKRN reports that the law “has expanded criminal asset forfeiture for 12 statutes.” Representative Brandon Ogles, who…

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word enhance as “to increase or improve in value, quality, or attractiveness.” There are many things that many of us would like to enhance: beauty, health, intelligence, or quality of life. However, one thing many of us would not like enhanced are criminal offenses. When you have been accused of committing…

There are unfortunate times in your life when you need to defend yourself or your family. However, self-defense claims are not as easy to prove as you may think. Authorities and the court can use your claim of self-defense against you by saying you admit to harming another individual. They will quickly be able to…

Fake heiress Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, made a name for herself as a Manhattan socialite, scamming friends, associates, banks, and hotels during her time in New York until her arrest in 2017. With a New Yorker article and a Netflix series detailing her crime spree and resulting legal woes, the country became…

Earlier this month, Lebanon police officers made an arrest that theoretically took drugs and other paraphernalia off of Tennessee streets. However, the way in which they went about this is a highly debated topic. They used controversial surveillance technology to make a stop and arrested a 22-year-old. The technology they used is license-plate-recognition software that…

When a juvenile is charged with a crime in Tennessee, the court has the power to decide whether they will be tried for their crime in juvenile or adult court. The state bases their decision on a variety of factors, and can grant a waiver transferring a juvenile’s case over to adult criminal court. These…

Experienced criminal defense lawyers work aggressively to obtain dismissals of criminal charges and to suppress evidence that was illegally obtained or is improper. They should always be ready to try your case in court before a jury. Many times, though, lawyers work with the prosecutor to arrange a plea bargain. A plea bargain essentially means…

After an arrest for any criminal charge, a defendant is entitled to a bail hearing. Defendants who can obtain bail are released from prison. Defendants who are not approved for bail or can’t meet the bail requirements will stay in jail until their case can be heard. Experienced defense lawyers fight to have their clients…

If you have played a video game in the last 20 years, then you’re probably familiar with Grand Theft Auto. It has been through multiple iterations and offers a number of expansion packs, and can be played on multiple devices – a dream come true for anyone who secretly dreams of working their way up…

Aggravated assault in Tennessee is, essentially, the intentional committing of an assault that causes serious bodily injury, causes death, or involves the use of a deadly weapon. Aggravated assault can also include strangulation, the failure of a parent to protect a child from an aggravated assault, and other definitions. Aggravated assault is defined in the…

New state laws require life sentences for more criminal offenses. The enforcement of these laws through arrests, prosecutions, and convictions is causing a large increase in the Tennessee state prison population. According to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit based in Washington DC, the trend towards more lifetime incarcerations in Tennessee is just…

Who knows where certain information comes from? You hear through the grapevine over the years that one thing or another can keep you from getting arrested if you’ve committed a crime. Unfortunately, that bad game of “whisper down the lane” can very well have the opposite result because what you’ve heard is frequently wrong. Sometimes…

Suffering a medical emergency while driving is frightening for you, the passengers in your vehicle, and all those around you on the roads. It can be nearly impossible to predict various medical emergencies, but there are some people who should not be driving based on their medical conditions. For example, those diagnosed with seizures might…

Theft charges in Tennessee are serious and can result in hefty consequences for those convicted. Not only is an arrest for theft of any type of property and embarrassing situation, it is also costly in the financial and legal sense. A conviction can damage your immediate and long-term future prospects for employment and other life…

Although self-defense laws across the country allow individuals to defend themselves from harm, these laws generally do not permit individuals to commit violence in just any given situation, and simply claim self-defense. Understanding the basics of self-defense law in Tennessee are important, both to understand how to properly use self-defense and avoid criminal charges when…

Are there things you just can’t say without risking being charged with a crime? Do the manner and amount of the verbal attacks matter in determining if a crime has been committed? Do verbal threats ever cross the legal line? As with most issues, the answer is – probably not, but it depends. As with…

The Internet offers a range of wonderful opportunities. Many of those opportunities offer windows into a range of personal interests. Unfortunately, some of those personal interests can lead the users into a nest of troubles. Social activities can lead to charges of bullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, and Internet pornography. Some people even make the mistake…

Parole and probation are similar in some ways, different in others. Both terms apply to anyone convicted of a crime. Both terms require that the person convicted comply with all related conditions. Noncompliance with parole or probation conditions can mean that the convicted person will be confined in a jail or prison. Tennessee generally defines…