Domestic Assault Laws In Tennessee

These Domestic Assault laws will go into effect on July 2017 in the State of Tennessee. Below we have a copy of the Tennessee Code Annotated’s updated laws on Domestic Assault and Domestic Violence. You will find how the law defines a victim, a perpetrator, and what the punishments can be if you are convicted by the Court. If you need any help with your Domestic Assault case, give us a call. We have the team of experienced and success driven attorneys that you need.

(a) As used in this section, “domestic abuse victim” means any person who falls within the following categories:

(1) Adults or minors who are current or former spouses;

(2) Adults or minors who live together or who have lived together;

(3) Adults or minors who are dating or who have dated or who have or had a sexual relationship, but does not include fraternization between two (2) individuals in a business or social context;

   (4) Adults or minors related by blood or adoption;

(5) Adults or minors who are related or were formerly related by marriage; or

(6) Adult or minor children of a person in a relationship that is described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(5).

(b) A person commits domestic assault who commits an assault as defined in § 39-13-101 against a domestic abuse victim.

(c)(1) A first conviction for domestic assault and a second or subsequent conviction for domestic assault committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101 (a)(2) and (a)(3) is punishable the same as assault under § 39-13-101, and additionally, as provided in subdivisions (c)(2) and (c)(3) and subsections (d) and (e) of this section.

(2) A second conviction for domestic assault committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101(a)(1) is punishable by a fine of not less than three hundred fifty dollars ($350) nor more than three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500), and by confinement in the county jail or workhouse for not less than thirty (30) consecutive days, nor more than eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days.

(3) A third or subsequent conviction for domestic assault committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101(a)(1) is punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand one hundred dollars ($1,100) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), and by confinement in the county jail or workhouse for not less than ninety (90) consecutive days, nor more than eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days; provided, however, that if the domestic assault victim’s relationship with the defendant falls within the categories defined in subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(3), or the victim is the minor child of any person in such categories, and the defendant has at least two (2) prior convictions for domestic assault committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101(a)(1) prior to or at the time of committing the offense, the offense is a Class E felony, with a mandatory confinement of not less than ninety (90) consecutive days in the county jail or workhouse.

(4) For purposes of this section, a person who is convicted of a violation of § 39-13-111 committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101(a)(1), shall not be subject to the enhanced penalties prescribed in this subsection (c), if ten (10) or more years have elapsed between the date of the present violation and the date of any immediately preceding violation of § 39-13-111, committed in a manner prohibited by § 39-13-101(a)(1), that resulted in a conviction for such offense.

(5) In addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for a violation of this section, if, as determined by the court, the defendant possesses the ability to pay a fine in an amount not in excess of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225), then the court shall impose a fine at the level of the defendant’s ability to pay, but not in excess of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225). The additional fine shall be paid to the clerk of the court imposing sentence, who shall transfer it to the state treasurer, who shall credit the fine to the general fund. All fines so credited to the general fund shall be subject to appropriation by the general assembly for the exclusive purpose of funding family violence shelters and shelter services. This appropriation shall be in addition to any amount appropriated pursuant to § 67-4-411.

(6) A person convicted of a violation of this section shall be required to terminate, upon conviction, possession of all firearms that the person possesses as required by § 36-3-625.

(d) As part of a defendant’s alternative sentencing for a violation of this section, the sentencing judge may direct the defendant to complete a drug or alcohol treatment program or available counseling programs that address violence and control issues including, but not limited to, a batterer’s intervention program that has been certified by the domestic violence state coordinating council. Completion of a noncertified batterer’s intervention program shall only be ordered if no certified program is available in the sentencing county. No batterer’s intervention program, certified or noncertified, shall be deemed complete until the full term of the program is complete, and a judge may not require a defendant to attend less than the full term of a program as part of a plea agreement or otherwise. The defendant’s knowing failure to complete such an intervention program shall be considered a violation of the defendant’s alternative sentence program and the sentencing judge may revoke the defendant’s participation in such program and order execution of sentence.

(e) A person convicted of a violation under this section shall be required to serve at least the minimum sentence day for day. All persons sentenced under this section shall, in addition to service of at least the minimum sentence, be required to serve the difference between the time actually served and the maximum sentence on supervised probation.

Credits
2000 Pub.Acts, c. 824, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; 2002 Pub.Acts, c. 649, § 3, eff. July 1, 2002; 2008 Pub.Acts, c. 744, § 1, eff. April 10, 2008; 2009 Pub.Acts, c. 455, § 4, eff. July 1, 2009; 2010 Pub.Acts, c. 1061, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 1, 2010; 2012 Pub.Acts, c. 931, § 1, eff. July 1, 2012; 2012 Pub.Acts, c. 987, § 1, eff. July 1, 2012; 2014 Pub.Acts, c. 693, §§ 1 to 4, eff. July 1, 2014; 2016 Pub.Acts, c. 906, § 4.

Notes of Decisions (1)

T. C. A. § 39-13-111, TN ST § 39-13-111

Current through end of the 2016 Second Regular and Second Extraordinary Sessions of the 109th Tennessee General Assembly. Pursuant to §§ 1-1-110, 1-1-111, and 1-2-114, the Tennessee Code Commission certifies the final, official version of the Tennessee Code and, until then, may make editorial changes to the statutes. References to the updates made by the most recent legislative session should be to the Public Chapter and not to the T.C.A. until final revisions have been made to the text, numbering, and hierarchical headings on Westlaw to conform to the official text.