Three bills aimed at reducing violent crime in Tennessee were signed by Governor Bill Haslam this week at the Bartlett Criminal Justice Center in Shelby County.
Following is a brief summary of the new laws:
• Felons with Firearms — Increases penalties for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon from a Class E felony to a Class C felony, which is punishable by a 3- to 15-year sentence and up to $10,000 in fines if the crime involved the use of force, violence or a deadly weapon. The punishment is a Class D felony, under the new law, for felons whose conviction involve a drug offense.
• Enhancing Penalties for Gang Violence – Bumps up penalties by one classification in Tennessee if “a crime of force or violence is committed while acting in concert with two or more other persons.” The measure addresses certain types of serious crimes not covered by the state’s current “Crooks with Guns” law, including aggravated assault, robbery, or aggravated burglary, if the crime is committed in concert with two or more persons.
• Repeat Domestic Violence Offender Law – Specifies at least 30 days in jail and a fine ranging from $350 to $3,500 for those convicted of a second offense for domestic violence when bodily injury occurs. Upon a third or a subsequent conviction, the mandatory jail time would increase to 90 days and a fine ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. In counting prior convictions, the new law provides for a ten-year look back provision for domestic violence due to serious bodily injury similar to the one used in the state’s drunk driving law.
• Enhancing Penalties for Gang Violence – Bumps up penalties by one classification in Tennessee if “a crime of force or violence is committed while acting in concert with two or more other persons.” The measure addresses certain types of serious crimes not covered by the state’s current “Crooks with Guns” law, including aggravated assault, robbery, or aggravated burglary, if the crime is committed in concert with two or more persons.
• Repeat Domestic Violence Offender Law – Specifies at least 30 days in jail and a fine ranging from $350 to $3,500 for those convicted of a second offense for domestic violence when bodily injury occurs. Upon a third or a subsequent conviction, the mandatory jail time would increase to 90 days and a fine ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. In counting prior convictions, the new law provides for a ten-year look back provision for domestic violence due to serious bodily injury similar to the one used in the state’s drunk driving law.
“Tennessee is ranked second in the nation in domestic violence and is fifth in the number of women murdered by men as a result of domestic violence,” said Senator Mark Norris, the state's Senate Majority Leader and the sponsor of the bills. “We must turn the tide on domestic violence in Tennessee. This new law represents a large step forward in that effort.”
Norris said all three of the new laws were part of a package of public safety bills included in Haslam’s legislative agenda. The bills were recommended by a group headed by Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons, composed of more than 10 government agencies. The group held meetings with over 300 leaders in law enforcement, substance abuse, and corrections, and developed 11 objectives and 40 action steps in their multi-year safety action plan with the goal of significantly reducing drug abuse and drug trafficking, curbing violent crime and lowering the rate of repeat offenders in Tennessee.
