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House adds robbery to "crime of violence" definition, advancing stiffer penalties for repeat offenders
Summary
The House approved Senate Bill 456 to include robbery in the state definition of "crime of violence," expanding circumstances that can trigger enhanced penalties for offenders with prior violent-crime convictions.
The Tennessee House on Friday approved Senate Bill 456, a measure that adds robbery to the statutory definition of a "crime of violence," a change supporters said will permit stiffer sentencing when robbery is committed by someone with a prior qualifying violent-crime conviction.
Sponsor Rep. Doggett described robbery under existing law as "the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear," and said the bill simply puts robbery explicitly into the list of offenses defined as violent. "We're just simply adding violence or robbery to the definition of crime of violence," Doggett said.
The measure drew sharp floor debate about the social and historical context of criminal law. Rep. Jones (Davidson) warned…
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