'Crooks With Guns' Legislation

[TripleDigitRide]

Law Will Strengthen 'Crooks With Guns' Legislation - Nashville News Story - WSMV Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A measure that seeks to crack down on violent crime in Tennessee is among a number of new laws taking effect Friday.

The legislation builds on the "Crooks with Guns" law passed during the 2007 Tennessee General Assembly.

It adds a minimum of six years to the sentence of a person who has a gun while committing a felony or attempting to escape. And violators who possess a firearm while attempting first-degree murder would get the extra time plus at least three to five years more depending on whether they have a prior record.

The original "Crooks with Guns" legislation made it an additional offense to be armed with a firearm when committing felonies such as aggravated and especially aggravated kidnapping, burglary, carjacking, voluntary manslaughter and certain drug crimes.

Tennessee ranks second in the nation in the number of violent crimes and about 67 percent of those convicted of such crimes are re-arrested within three years of being released from prison, statistics show.

"This is an additional tool for the judicial system and law enforcement," said Maggi McLean Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee

Association of Chiefs of Police. "Re-offenders are responsible for committing a larger percentage of crimes. Law enforcement's goal is to limit the number of victims in our communities and create safe environments for our citizens."

Another law taking effect with the start of 2010 requires the state Health Department to try to award contracts to public clinics before seeking out private entities such as Planned Parenthood, which supports abortion.

The Republican-supported legislation was prompted by a video on the Internet that shows an allegedly pregnant 14-year-old being coached by a Planned Parenthood counselor in Memphis to lie about the age of her boyfriend to avoid legal scrutiny and get an abortion without her parents' knowledge.

Currently, the organization receives about $1.2 million that's divided among Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee and Memphis Regional Planned Parenthood.

None of the money that the group receives from the state can be used for abortions, but it does help subsidize birth control and other reproductive health care.

Similar GOP proposals had failed in the past.

Also on Jan. 1, a law will take effect to help prevent the accidental or intentional poisoning of people, pets and other animals as a result of ingesting antifreeze or engine coolants.

The law requires manufacturers to add a bittering agent. Without it, antifreeze has a sweet aroma and flavor. Ethylene glycol, a key ingredient in antifreeze, is toxic to humans and animals. Manufacturers that don't comply with the law will be penalized.

Tennessee legislators proposed the measure after Sevierville resident Haley Ham contacted them about her two dogs being intentionally poisoned by antifreeze.

"Obviously, I'm proud," Ham said of the law. "I just wanted justice."

[saintsfanbrian]

Here's a tip, how about we do away with parole. You serve the maximum regardless of the crime....

Wouldn't that go a lot farther to actually deterring crime? If you are caught you go to jail for a predefined amount of time. Judges have no leeway as to shortening sentences. The only one that could do that is the governor. You better hope he likes you.

As for Anti-Freeze - it sucks that they manufacturers have to have legislation to do this. Don't you think it would be a good advertising for BrandX to state that animals are less likely to drink their anti-freeze.

[DaveTN]

Criminals either don’t think they will get caught or just don’t care. Adding years won’t help that. Especially when they know the prisons are already overcrowded and they will get out early anyway.

Make prison a place no one wants to go to.

[Guest Oaklands]

Drug addicts get desperate and commit crimes. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the type of criminals committing these crimes. Are they repeat criminals, 1st time criminals, drug addicts, pushers, etc... It would be easier to figure out the punishment for the crime. One brush fits all doesn't work. Get to the root of the problem.

I never knew we ranked #2 in violent crimes.

[DaveTN]

Get to the root of the problem.

The root of the problem is jobs and the economy. And it’s only going to get worse until we decide to change it.

I never knew we ranked #2 in violent crimes.

That’s impossible. 5% of the citizens have carry privileges; we should have a very low crime rate.

[JeffL]

So killing someone with a gun is worse than killing them with a knife? I'll keep that in mind.

[Guest proudsuthrner]

Criminals either don’t think they will get caught or just don’t care. Adding years won’t help that. Especially when they know the prisons are already overcrowded and they will get out early anyway.

Make prison a place no one wants to go to.

you mean like gitmo?

[Smith]

The root of the problem is jobs and the economy. And it’s only going to get worse until we decide to change it.

Not true. Just look at stats during the great depression and other economic downturns.

It is however an excuse for some who find validation in the media to promote their leftist agenda on how the government is the only one who can stop the down economy.

[Volzfan]

They keep saying that it costs taxpayers $30k a year to house a prisoner. That's !!!

Feed em bologna (who can type that without singing the Oscar Meyer song in your mind?)

[DaveTN]

you mean like gitmo?

I have been to Gitmo several times and had a great time. But I have never been in prison there, so I can’t answer that.

If you mean keeping them in cells without TV and without the gangs having the ability to run the prison… then yes.

[DaveTN]

Not true. Just look at stats during the great depression and other economic downturns.

Crime didn’t increase during the depression? I don’t know how to respond to that other than…

It is however an excuse for some who find validation in the media to promote their leftist agenda on how the government is the only one who can stop the down economy.

That’s certainly not me. I have said all along the government can’t get us out of this; this is on us.

[Worriedman]

That’s impossible. 5% of the citizens have carry privileges; we should have a very low crime rate.

At least we have the opportunity to carry legally. If the rest of the 95% desires to remain a soft target, or to carry illegally, so be it.

If we could just get the Legislature to understand the Constitution as written, and then the sheep to hold them to the protecting and defending it as they should, we could have our Right to Keep and Bear arms as described in that said Constitution.

[Guest Muttling]

Crime didn’t increase during the depression? I don’t know how to respond to that other than…

Here's an interesting read that covers crime and recessions. The depression is addressed at the very end of the article.

Statistics point to increase in crime during recessions | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

[Smith]

Crime didnt increase during the depression? I dont know how to respond to that other than

No, typical crime actually went the other way and Mutt's article proves both points icluding my second point, which i think you agree.

I do, however reject the notion that poor economics "make" more criminals. Crime itself may rise marginally, but character is something you either have or you don't. It is not cause and effexct. If it were not so the curves would directly correspond in both scope and size. They do not.

.

[DaveTN]

No, typical crime actually went the other way and Mutt's article proves both points icluding my second point, which i think you agree.

We need to use some common sense.

We have seen here many times that you can take data from one source and make it show whatever you like. That is exactly what you are doing. The link that you are using to validate your argument is titled “Statistics point to increase in crime during recessionsâ€. The story goes on to provide data to support that. However, you want to go to the end of the article and quote data (or lack thereof) from 80 years ago. So you want to disregard the facts in the article?

I do, however reject the notion that poor economics "make" more criminals. Crime itself may rise marginally, but character is something you either have or you don't.

Children that come from low income households are more likely to be involved with crime and gangs. Do you dispute that?

It is not cause and effexct. If it were not so the curves would directly correspond in both scope and size. They do not.

Yes it is, and yes they do.

If the country went back to work; crime would drop. That’s just common sense.

Will there still be criminals? Sure there will always be those that live off crime; but many poor people want to work. The more jobs we lose the more crime we will have.

[Smith]

We need to use some common sense.

We have seen here many times that you can take data from one source and make it show whatever you like. That is exactly what you are doing. The link that you are using to validate your argument is titled “Statistics point to increase in crime during recessionsâ€. The story goes on to provide data to support that. However, you want to go to the end of the article and quote data (or lack thereof) from 80 years ago. So you want to disregard the facts in the article?

Yes you said the Depression which is what I addressed. That article is also indictive of the stats that show there are not direct, consistent parallels

between crime and economics as a whole. Rather they are some what interpretive and misleading correlating factors given certain time periods. People attribute these to predetermined life views. As was my second point

Children that come from low income households are more likely to be involved with crime and gangs. Do you dispute that?

While that is true it is rather simplistic. For instance, low income household crime in cities is directly disproportionate to low income rural and suburban areas. Not only that but in rural/suburban areas the curve between economics and crime (ala Great Depression) tends to not be correlated.

Yes it is, and yes they do.

If the country went back to work; crime would drop. That’s just common sense.

Will there still be criminals? Sure there will always be those that live off crime; but many poor people want to work. The more jobs we lose the more crime we will have.

Jobs don't stop crime. Compare the 80's with the late 90's.

We agree more than it sounds. I just am rejecting the preimse (not necessarily by you) that if everyone had a job there would be no crime. Sure economics affect some fringge elements one way or the other, but ultimately I believe the bulk of those that are criminals would be so regardless and that the net gain on either side is negligible to the overall stats. I also agree stats are just about worthless. They can be made to make any point. They also can not account for cultural forces behind the numbers. Which are usually key, but even more subjective.

[Guest 270win]

Work prisoners on penal farms and clean out death row by using the needle and chair more would be a great start to 'reforming' the system.

[Guest Jamie]

I still think regular public hangings for the worst - or in some cases, habitual/re-offending - crimes would go a long way toward convincing people that they really just don't want to do certain things.

And even if it didn't work to any great degree on deterring would-be criminals, at least it would stop the ones that were caught, and ensure no one had to pay to support them for the rest of their lives.

But that's just me, I suppose... a mean ol' hard-ass.

J.

[Smith]

I still think regular public hangings for the worst - or in some cases, habitual/re-offending - crimes would go a long way toward convincing people that they really just don't want to do certain things.

And even if it didn't work to any great degree on deterring would-be criminals, at least it would stop the ones that were caught, and ensure no one had to pay to support them for the rest of their lives.

But that's just me, I suppose... a mean ol' hard-ass.

J.

[Guest witchdr]

I agree with Jamie but would also add that the sentence be carried out in the town the crime was committed in .If people knew that thier friends and family would see them loose all control of bodily function and all the other things that occur when a person is hung it would be a gfreat deterrant