TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Sep 3, 2024

Rutherford County District Attorney Jennings Jones and Ericka Downing, director of the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center in Murfreesboro, allege that Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro has stopped offering forensic exams to victims of sexual assault. The Tennessee Lookout reports that Downing says she is unaware of a single forensic exam performed since January at the hospital. Jones called it a “substantial concern” that has surprised and disappointed prosecutors in the county. David Leaverton, senior director of external communications at the hospital, denied the allegations, saying, "Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital continues to provide rape kit exams." Leaverton noted it has been challenging for the hospital to maintain 24/7 coverage with trained nurses but says the hospital has not changed its services.