By Duane Sherrill / Columnist
I was going to write my column today on the now-jailed Pam Rogers, but I’m not, seeing I’m just as tired of the story as you are.
She had well over her 15 minutes, and barring a tunneling escape from Stalag 13, hopefully that will be it until someone comes up with some novel community service work for her to do.
Instead, I’m going to return to some more interesting novelties of Tennessee law, stuff some folks may not know is law or may have mistakenly thought was law when it was just an urban legend of the law.
For instance, you can use the bathroom in public so long as you take steps to conceal yourself. In Tennessee Code Annotated 39-13-511, the law states as long as “intentional and reasonable” attempts are made to conceal the act, you cannot be convicted of indecent exposure. However, before you relieve yourself downtown, the law only permits such acts if they are in an unincorporated area, meaning outside city limits.
I think we’ve always heard “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Well, under Tennessee law, (TCA 39-11-502) ignorance of the law is a valid excuse and may be raised as a defense. However, by the same token, a person using the defense can still be found guilty.
You can use force, deadly force if needed, to defend another person. TCA 39-11-612 says force can be used to defend another if the defender reasonably believes immediate force is required to defend the other person from an unlawful attack.
Police can break in your door or window to gain entrance without a warrant according to TCA 40-7-107 if they are there to make an arrest and they are refused admittance. They must first reveal their identity and purpose.
Officers can arrest you if you refuse to sign a ticket, summons or promise to appear in court, according to TCA 7-63-104.
Despite the high cost of gas, TCA 55-8-167 says it is a misdemeanor for a motorist to coast when going downhill, by either putting their vehicle in neutral or throwing it out of gear with their clutch.
It is a $50 fine for a school bus driver to use a cell phone while driving the bus. Under TCA 55-8-192, exceptions to the rule include using two-way devices to communicate with dispatch or using a cell phone in case of an emergency.
If you hit an unattended vehicle, such as one in a parking lot, you are required under TCA 55-10-104 to either find the owner and notify them or to leave a note in a “conspicuous place” giving your name, address, and phone number and a brief description of what happened. Failure to do so is a Class C misdemeanor.
You are required to lend aid at the scene of an accident, according to TCA 55-10-103, which requires a person involved in an accident to render reasonable assistance, including taking a person for treatment or summoning assistance to take the person to the hospital. Failure to do so is a Class C misdemeanor.
Next time you think about asking a police officer buddy to get you out of a ticket, remember that, according to TCA 55-10-204, you are not only asking him to commit a Class C felony for you but you are also committing a crime yourself.
Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].
