Criminal Justice (Judges)

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2170: Jails, Local Lock-ups - As introduced, requires the monthly report of the warden of a county workhouse for each prisoner placed under a work release program to be filed with the judge by whom the prisoner was sentenced on or before the fifteenth day of the month immediately following the reporting period. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 40 and Title 41.

SB 2170 requires county workhouse wardens to submit monthly reports to the sentencing judge about prisoners in work release programs. The reports, due by the 15th of each month, must detail each prisoner's conduct and financial achievements during the previous month. This bill directly affects county workhouses, wardens, and judges who oversee criminal sentences, updating Tennessee law (TCA Titles 5, 40, and 41) to mandate this judicial reporting. The key provision shifts reporting responsibility from previous entities to the sentencing judge, enhancing direct oversight of work release participants.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates reporting on work release participants' conduct/financial achievements to oversee rehabilitation progress, aligning with improving rehabilitation programs and reducing recidivism.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Judges Sentencing

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 7, 2026

HB 2296: Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires a court or magistrate to impose global positioning monitoring as a condition of release for a defendant accused of certain offenses, unless the court or magistrate enters written findings that the defendant does not pose a threat to the victim or public safety; requires the administrative office of the courts to compile an annual report of the number of defendants subject to such an order. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

HB 2296 would require Tennessee courts to impose GPS monitoring as a condition of release for defendants charged with specific offenses, including domestic assault, vehicle burglaries, and offenses involving firearms or violence, unless the court makes a written finding that the defendant does not pose a threat to victims or public safety. Courts must report monthly to the administrative office of the courts on the number of defendants under GPS monitoring, and this office would compile an annual report for the legislature. The bill applies to cases such as domestic assault (under § 39-13-111), vehicle burglaries (§ 39-13-1002), reckless driving (§ 55-10-205), and repeat offenses. This policy adds GPS monitoring as a standard requirement for these offenses, with a safeguard to avoid unnecessary monitoring.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRequires GPS monitoring for specific offenses, restricting defendant freedom as a bail condition per TCA amendments.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges Violent Crime

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signed · Tennessee · Senate May 5, 2026

SB 2201: Juvenile Offenders - As enacted, specifies that if a student is referred to juvenile court for being unlawfully absent from school and is ultimately adjudicated to be unruly, that the disposition made by the juvenile judge or magistrate may include the suspension of the student's driving privileges or ability to obtain a driver license for a period of up to one year. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30 and Title 55, Chapter 10.

SB 2201 allows juvenile courts in Tennessee to suspend a student’s driving privileges or prevent them from obtaining a driver’s license for up to one year if the student is adjudicated "unruly" for unlawful school absences. This applies specifically to students referred to juvenile court for truancy and found unruly under Tennessee law. The bill amends existing statutes (TCA Title 37, 49, and 55) to add driving suspension as a permitted court disposition. It directly affects students facing juvenile court for truancy-related offenses, with the policy change taking effect July 1, 2026. The measure does not alter truancy reporting requirements but expands potential consequences for adjudicated cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds driving suspension for juvenile truancy, expanding criminalization of minor school absences beyond traditional court dispositions per TCA amendments.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges Juvenile Justice

introduced · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2203: Jails, Local Lock-ups - As introduced, requires the monthly report of the warden of a county workhouse for each prisoner placed under a work release program to be filed with the judge by whom the prisoner was sentenced on or before the fifteenth day of the month immediately following the reporting period. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 40 and Title 41.

HB 2203 requires county workhouse wardens to submit monthly reports to the sentencing judge about each prisoner in a work release program. The report, due by the 15th of the following month, must detail the prisoner's conduct and financial progress during the program. This affects county workhouse staff (who must file reports) and sentencing judges (who receive them). The bill amends Tennessee law to add this reporting requirement, focusing on transparency for judges overseeing work release participation.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates judicial oversight of work release programs via monthly reports, enhancing transparency and accountability in rehabilitation efforts, aligning with reform indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges Sentencing

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 2665: Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires a court or magistrate to impose global positioning monitoring as a condition of release for a defendant accused of certain offenses, unless the court or magistrate enters written findings that the defendant does not pose a threat to the victim or public safety; requires the administrative office of the courts to compile an annual report of the number of defendants subject to such an order. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

SB 2665 requires Tennessee courts to mandate GPS monitoring as a bail condition for defendants charged with specific serious offenses - including those involving firearms, violence, domestic assault, vehicle burglary, reckless driving, drag racing, or repeat crimes - unless the court documents in writing that the defendant poses no threat to victims or public safety. It applies to cases where the defendant was arrested for one of these listed offenses. Courts must report monthly data on defendants under GPS monitoring to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which will compile an annual statewide report for legislative committees. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates GPS monitoring for specific offenses, restricting defendant freedom and reducing pretrial release options, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of limiting rights.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 1973: Immigration - As introduced, enacts the “Tennessee Freedom from Unlawful Immigration Detention Act.” - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 40 and Title 41.

This bill prohibits Tennessee law enforcement from detaining individuals based solely on an ICE immigration request (detainer) or immigration status. It requires any detention or transfer to ICE to be based on a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge, showing probable cause for the specific person. Individuals unlawfully detained under this law may sue for damages of at least $1,000 per day, plus attorney fees. The law states ICE detainers have no legal effect in Tennessee and explicitly prohibits state officers from claiming federal policy as a defense for violating these rules.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits unlawful immigration detentions by law enforcement, protects civil rights, and requires judicial warrants - aligns with criminal justice reform indicators like enhancing accountability and protecting defendant rights.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits state detention based on ICE requests, requires judicial warrants, and allows lawsuits - directly limits state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges Law Enforcement Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1677: Evidence - As introduced, prohibits a court from excluding evidence against a criminal defendant unless the evidence was obtained by deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct or recurring or systemic negligence that violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and refusal to suppress the evidence would contradict a clearly established holding of the United States supreme court; establishes an immediate interlocutory appeal to the Tennessee supreme court when a court grants a motion to suppress evidence. - Amends TCA Title 40.

SB 1677 changes Tennessee's rules for excluding evidence in criminal cases. It limits exclusion to situations where evidence was obtained through deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct violating constitutional rights, and where refusing to exclude it would contradict a clear U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The bill also creates an immediate appeal process for prosecutors when a judge suppresses evidence, requiring the Tennessee Supreme Court to expedite such cases. This directly affects criminal defendants (who may lose evidence challenges) and prosecutors (who gain faster appeals). The law aligns Tennessee's exclusionary rule strictly with federal standards, preventing state courts from creating stricter rules.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill restricts evidence suppression to only severe constitutional violations, reducing defendant rights and weakening judicial oversight of law enforcement evidence collection.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 1765: Orders of Protection - As introduced, increases from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony the penalty for the criminal offense of violation of an order of protection if the order violated was a lifetime order of protection and the conviction that the lifetime order of protection was based on involved the use of force against a victim. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 39.

HB 1765 upgrades penalties for violating lifetime protection orders from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony under specific conditions. It applies only when the violation involves a lifetime order (issued under TCA §36-3-627) and the original order was based on a conviction involving force against a victim. The law requires consecutive prison sentences for these violations unless a judge orders concurrent terms. This change affects individuals who breach such orders after a force-based conviction, increasing criminal penalties for repeat or severe violations.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeUpgrades violation penalties to felony, increasing mandatory sentences and expanding criminalization under specific conditions, aligning with 'oppose' indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Domestic Violence Judges

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 1475: Evidence - As introduced, prohibits a court from excluding evidence against a criminal defendant unless the evidence was obtained by deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct or recurring or systemic negligence that violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and refusal to suppress the evidence would contradict a clearly established holding of the United States supreme court; establishes an immediate interlocutory appeal to the Tennessee supreme court when a court grants a motion to suppress evidence. - Amends TCA Title 40.

HB 1475 limits when Tennessee courts can exclude evidence in criminal cases. It prohibits excluding evidence unless it was obtained through deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct violating the Fourth Amendment, or recurring/systemic negligence, and refusing to exclude it would contradict a clear U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The bill also creates an immediate appeal for prosecutors to the Tennessee Supreme Court when a judge suppresses evidence, requiring the court to expedite the review. This aligns Tennessee's evidence rules strictly with federal standards, preventing state courts from imposing stricter exclusion rules than those set by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts evidence suppression, reducing defendant rights in criminal cases by limiting when courts can exclude illegally obtained evidence.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 1977: Probation and Parole - As introduced, specifies that if the trial judge finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant has violated conditions of probation and suspension of sentence for a felony offense by engaging in conduct that constitutes a drug offense, then for the first instance of such a violation, the trial judge must order the defendant to attend a substance abuse treatment program and must not revoke the defendant's probation and suspension of sentence. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 35.

SB 1977 (Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-311(h)) modifies probation rules for felony offenders who violate probation by committing a drug offense. It requires trial judges, for the first violation of this type, to order substance abuse treatment instead of revoking probation - based on a preponderance of evidence. This applies directly to individuals on probation for felony drug offenses who breach probation terms. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and aims to prioritize treatment over immediate probation revocation for first-time violations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates substance abuse treatment over probation revocation for first drug-related violations, prioritizing rehabilitation and reducing punitive measures per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates substance abuse treatment for first-time drug offense probation violations, prioritizing healthcare access over probation revocation per TCA §40-35-311(h).95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Judges Probation & Parole Substance Abuse

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