The circumstances of Adnan Syed’s conviction in 2000 became the basis of the Serial podcast in 2014. It reexamined without bias the conviction of Adnan Syed, who is serving a life sentence for strangling his ex-girlfriend and then burying her with help from a friend, whose story has since proven unreliable. The popularity of the podcast, which […]
For many Tennessee residents, the process of appealing a court ruling is a bit unclear. In order for an appellate court to consider an appeal, there must be demonstrable evidence indicating that a grievous error was made during the trial, one that had a large effect on the final outcome. Otherwise, even if the aggrieved […]
“We need to be able to look at old cases, especially where someone is claiming that they are wrongfully convicted,” says Assistant District Attorney Robert Jones, who leads the Conviction Review Unit at the Nashville District Attorney’s office. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, 25 Tennessee inmates have been exonerated since 1989. Combined, they […]
In many states, the offense of reckless driving is limited to a few specific activities. In Tennessee, there are some specific activities that constitute reckless driving, but the overall definition is driving any vehicle “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” That means that whether you are charged with this […]
As you probably know, Governor Bill Haslam granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown. Brown, 30, was sentenced to life in prison after she, a teenage sex trafficking victim, killed a man who paid to have sex with her. Brown had appealed her life sentence after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to life behind […]
If you’ve been found guilty of a felony, you might wonder how your trial could’ve gone differently. Paying fines, providing compensation to a victim or their family, serving prison time and parole may all factor into your sentencing. But in some cases, your punishment may not be proportionate to the crime. Or, you might believe […]
