Tennessee Proposed Bill to Double Fines for Assaulting a Police Officer
On May 19, the Tennessee House passed an amendment to Senate Bill 539, removing language creating two distinct offenses for assault or aggravated assault on a police officer. Instead, the amendment, if passed, would simply double fines. Thus, the fine for assault in Tennessee on a police officer would be $5,000, and aggravated assault would carry a fine of $15,000.
Proponents of the bill say that the dangerous duties performed by officers warrant building a stronger deterrent into the law against attacks upon them. Opponents, like Senator Frank Nicely of Strawberry Plains, say that assault simply comes with the territory. “If you’re going to milk cows, you’re going to get kicked every now and then,” he stated. (Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, May 20, 2009).
What is assault? Under present law, a person commits assault who:
(1) Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another;
(2) Intentionally or knowingly causes another to reasonably fear imminent bodily injury; or
(3) Intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another and a reasonable person would regard the contact as extremely offensive or provocative.
Aggravated assault generally involves the above unlawful acts plus evidence that the assault caused serious bodily injury; or a deadly weapon was used during the commission of the assault. The new law would simply raise the fines if these offenses were committed against a police officer.
If you have been charged with assault or aggravated assault against a police officer in Knoxville, Pigeon Forge or surrounding areas, you will want an attorney with the skills and experience to build an effective defense. Call the skilled Knoxville criminal assault attorneys at Baker Associates today for a complete case evaluation.
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