Tennessee appellate court deemed a policy of prosecuting Walmart shoplifters as burglars unconstitutional but Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen is continuing the effort and at least one judge, Scott Green, isn’t happy about it.
Is there such a thing under Tennessee law as a Walmart burglary? Should there be? Who should decide? Nearly three years after Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen launched a controversial policy of charging petty thieves who shoplift at least twice from Walmart with felony burglary charges, the Tennessee Supreme Court is stepping in to answer those questions.
In a rare move, the high court also is inviting legal debate in the run-up to its decision, a nod to the far-reaching effects the outcome could have for defendants and taxpayers across Tennessee and, if Allen’s initiative passes legal muster, the nation… Knox News
