Shoplifting is the informal term for what the criminal code of Tennessee calls theft of property.  Tennessee law defines theft of property as follows: “A person commits theft of property if, with intent to deprive the owner of property, the person knowingly obtains or exercises control over the property without the owner’s effective consent.” Theft of … Read more

Expungement is a legal process in which criminal convictions are erased in the eyes of the law.   To expunge a charge means to remove it from your criminal record. Expungement is important to individuals, because prior convictions will follow you around like a sore thumb. For example, many employers often ask applicants to disclose their … Read more

Stalking Stalking is a thorny problem in society, as such behavior can place a person in a persistent state of fear. Unfortunately, stalking laws often contain broad language and have been applied to conduct that is more innocent, than criminal. Consider that Tennessee law defines stalking as “a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another … Read more

By David L. Hudson, Jr. “The criminal is to go free because the constable has blundered.” United States Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo famously wrote this statement in 1926 about the exclusionary rule, a principle he didn’t support.  The exclusionary rule, however, is a most important legal principle that protects the rights of criminal defendants … Read more

DUI Blood Test DUI charges are a serious matter but in order for prosecutors to convict of the crime, they have to prove every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt – a very high standard in our legal system.  One way that prosecutors attempt to meet their hefty burden is to introduce evidence … Read more