TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Aug 11, 2020

Legislation calling for harsher penalties for some protestors was today passed by a House committee after an agreement between House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and the District Attorneys General Conference, the Daily Memphian reports. The agreement removed a provision from HB8005 that would have allowed the state attorney general to prosecute vandalism and camping cases. The TBI would still be allowed to investigate crimes listed in the legislation and present them to a grand jury, but if a district attorney general refuses to prosecute, a petition could be made to the court for a district attorney pro tem. The bill passed the House Public Safety Committee, but not without a dispute between Lamberth and Rep. Larry Miller, D-Memphis, who blasted Lamberth for saying that those who opposed the measure supported spitting in the face of law enforcement officers. “You can support law enforcement officers or you can spit in their face by voting against this bill just like others have,” Lamberth said. Miller called it an “insulting” personal attack and also a lie. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill tomorrow.