TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 17, 2024

As of July 1, youth aged 15 and older in Tennessee may be tried in adult court for two nonviolent offenses: shoplifting of items valued over $1,000 with the intent to sell or fraudulently return the merchandise, or for stealing a firearm or attempting to do so. In the past, judges could decide to try a young person in adult court for violent or otherwise extreme offenses, the Nashville Banner reports. Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway is questioning whether the law is necessary. “Organized retail crime was not on our radar as an issue for the youth that we serve.” The bill’s lead sponsor Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, says he backed the legislation because “‘smash and grabs in Memphis have reached a crisis point.”