Reporter urges council to recognize administrative remedies and limit criminal traffic prosecutions
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Summary
David Tullis, an investigative reporter and plaintiff in related litigation, urged the council to adopt policies recognizing driving as a privilege administered under Tennessee’s administrative procedures and to rely on administrative remedies instead of criminal prosecution for traffic matters.
David Tullis, owner of Eagle Radio Network and an investigative reporter, addressed the council during public comment to urge recognition of traffic enforcement as an administrative privilege and to reduce criminal prosecutions for traffic violations.
Tullis said traffic stops are among the most dangerous encounters for police officers and outlined four elements he believes the council should recognize: that driving is a regulated privilege tied to commercial activity, that disputes over that privilege are heard administratively by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DOSHS), that the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act governs those administrative proceedings, and that administrative remedies must be exhausted before criminal prosecution proceeds.
Tullis said he has litigated in related matters (referencing his case as "Tulis versus Bennett" in the transcript) and has provided the city with a research brief documenting his findings. He said county counsel acknowledged the brief as thorough.
What the council record shows
Tullis made a policy argument urging the city to rely on administrative processes under state law to resolve driving‑privilege disputes and to protect officers by reframing enforcement approaches. The transcript records his remarks but does not show any immediate council action or adoption of policies in the meeting.
