TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on May 4, 2022

Gov. Bill Lee has until Friday to sign the new truth-in-sentencing bill or it will become law without his signature, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Some lawmakers had suggested Lee might veto the measure as it conflicts with his criminal justice reform efforts and is expected to drive up prison costs. The bill, HB2656/SB2248, would require those convicted of certain violent crimes to serve 100% of their sentence. In an opinion piece for the Tennessean, Nashville criminal defense attorney David Raybin calls on Lee to veto the bill. “With his veto pen, Governor Lee has an opportunity to give the General Assembly a chance to reconsider ill-advised, mass incarceration legislation,” Raybin writes.