It’s a general presumption that people should know what activities are considered crimes in Tennessee. You shouldn’t steal. If you hit someone, you’ll probably be arrested. If you drive over the speed limit, you’ll be ticketed. If you sell drugs, you’re breaking the law. It’s normally not an excuse to say, “But Your Honor, I thought what I was doing was legal.” Still, there are times that even a judge might be surprised that something is [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we all live in many ways. One of those ways is when criminal defendants have their day in court. Due to the danger of contracting the disease, before vaccinations, many trials were postponed. The delay affected jury trials throughout the United States. While the delays are understandable because of public safety concerns, the delays are still preventing defendants from having their day in court. Worse, many defendants who can’t afford [...]

In February 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments involving the need for the police to obtain warrants to enter the home of people suspected of having committed a misdemeanor or minor crime. The Court had previously ruled that the police can enter a home of felons who flee. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution provides that people are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures – and that the police [...]

Every jury trial has risks. There are no guarantees that any juror will rule in your favor. However, there are often strong indicators that a member of the jury is inclined to find that there is a reasonable doubt as compared to other jury members. Every member of the jury has certain prejudices and biases whether it's the color of a defendant’s skin, the way a defendant looks, or automatically believing the testimony of a police [...]

 Should you talk to the police? You know were taught that the police are our friends, and they certainly are. They serve a valuable purpose, but when you're charged with a crime or you have the potential to be charged with a crime – perhaps you're a suspect, perhaps you're a witness, but likely you won't know which of the two you are – I would strongly recommend that you exercise your 5th amendment constitutional [...]

Many great movies have been made about criminal cases. Most are fictional, though some are based on true events. Movies about crimes are fascinating because there's always the suspense element of whether the person is guilty of the crime. There’s suspense around the abilities and skills of the lawyers who prosecute the case and defend their clients. While some crime movies are fun, the truly great ones raise moral and ethical questions about the criminal justice [...]

In sexual assault cases, the prosecution may try to argue a defendant’s alleged sexual assault of a victim is part of a pattern of assault of other sexual assault victims. Judges in these types of cases need to balance the right of the prosecution to prove its case with the defendant’s right to a fair trial. The admission of pattern of conduct testimony is very prejudicial to the defendant’s case because the focus of the case [...]

Tennessee’s domestic relations laws are complex, and clients who are seeking a divorce often have a lot of questions about what they should be doing. Today, Mandy Hancock addresses some of the more common questions clients ask. Do I need an attorney if my spouse has hired an attorney?  If your spouse has hired an attorney in a domestic relations case, it's important for you to get an attorney as well. The reason is because [...]

Meth has come roaring back in the state of Tennessee. In 2019, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported that meth outpaced marijuana as the most frequently filed drug in its crime laboratory. In 2020, the picture is the same. A significant 10% increase in methamphetamine abuse has occurred in the state between July of last year and June of this year, according to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, [...]

Kids don’t always show the best judgement. It’s why we have specific crimes and courts established to go a little lighter on younger members of our society who are still learning from their mistakes. The general idea is that they shouldn’t have to throw their lives away so early if they can turn things around and get back on the right track. Their minds are still developing and there are exceptions made for that fact. Some [...]