Article I of the Tennessee State Constitution lays out our state bill of rights which has been summarized by our Nashville Attorneys, highlighting a few key rights for Tennesseans:

§7 – Unreasonable searches and seizures prohibited

§8 – Bill of Attainder may not be issued (An act of the Tennessee legislature declaring an individual guilty of a particular crime, without the benefit of a trial, would be prohibited)

§9 – Fair trial rights guaranteed; compelled self incrimination is outlawed

§12 – Indictments must be made ‘against the peace and dignity of the state’.

§18 – Imprisonment for civil debt may not be carried out

§19 – Freedom of the Press is guaranteed

§25 – Martial Law may never be declared

§35 – Crime victims may expect certain rights from the state

§32 – The State of Tennessee must provide for prisons and their upkeep

§26 – Explicitly grants the right to bear arms (except as legislated otherwise)

§15 – Habeas Corpus must be respected unless the legislature determines otherwise during wartime

§11 – Ex Post Facto laws are dangerous to free government and are prohibited

§§10, 13, 16, 32 prohibit double jeopardy (being tried twice for the same crime by the same government) and cruel and unusual punishment

It is interesting to note that several sections of the Tennessee Constitution were copied directly from the United States Constitution.

If you have recently been arrested and believe your Constitutional rights have been violated, contact our Nashville Criminal Attorneys today to discuss your case.