Committee rolls bill that would limit 'criminal responsibility' convictions after testimony from families and prosecutors

Senate Bill 1170, a measure to repeal or narrow provisions that allow convictions under criminal responsibility or felony-murder theories, was rolled by the Senate Judiciary Committee for one week after extended testimony and discussion.

Sponsor testimony described the bill as an effort to “restore a basic principle of fairness” so that individuals are held accountable for their own actions rather than for the acts of co‑defendants, and the sponsor asked the committee to hear victims’ families and survivors who argued the current law has produced disproportionate sentences.

Two witnesses gave personal accounts. Shauna Hatcher said her husband, Sean Hatcher, was sentenced as an adult after being 17 and “did not kill anyone,” and said he received 82 years while another adult who admitted the killing received 51. Hatcher urged the committee to “end criminal responsibility” for people convicted of acts they did not commit. Shane Lavera, with Free Hearts and a formerly incarcerated person, told the committee that criminal responsibility “disproportionately affects women” and recounted cases where co-defendants who took pleas received far lighter sentences than women who went to trial.

The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, represented by Executive Director Stephen Crump and Deputy Executive Director Mike Donovan, opposed the bill. Crump said the statute as written requires proof that a defendant acted with the culpability required for the offense or intended to assist or benefit from the offense; he told the committee that criminal responsibility and felony-murder concepts “exist in most every state” and argued prosecutors rely on those tools for charging and plea negotiations.

Committee members discussed evidence, plea usage and whether data are available to show how many convictions rest primarily on criminal-responsibility theories. Sponsor and counsel said they were open to tweaks to the language and requested a one-week roll to meet with the District Attorneys’ Conference and refine the bill. The committee approved the short roll.

Outcome: SB 1170 was rolled for one week to allow sponsor and stakeholders to revise language and gather additional information.

Ending: The sponsor said the roll would allow work with the DA conference and other stakeholders; the bill will return to committee after the requested week.