TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 4, 2020

Several district attorneys general in Tennessee have questioned the constitutionality of Gov. Bill Lee’s executive orders, WPLN reports. Stephen Crump, 10th District attorney general, questioned whether it was constitutional to allow certain businesses to open while others remain closed, and said he would not enforce criminal sanctions against anyone violating an order. Craig Northcott, 14th Judicial District attorney general, said he has had "grave concerns" about the constitutionality of the orders from the start, but now thinks modifications are making them “increasingly vague and arbitrary,” the Times Free Press reports. Finally, Bryant Dunaway, 13th Judicial District attorney general, and Brent Cooper, 22nd District attorney general, expressed concerns and said they will not prosecute violations of the orders. Gov. Lee has pushed back saying, “Our executive orders have been clear, they’ve been legal, they’ve been constitutional and they’ve been put in place to protect Tennessee citizens."