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House adds robbery to definition of 'crime of violence; sponsors say it recognizes violent conduct
Summary
The House voted to add robbery to the statutory list of crimes of violence; sponsors and opponents debated the scope and rhetorical framing of robbery versus systemic economic harms.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee House voted to add robbery to the statutory definition of "crime of violence," an action sponsors said would recognize robbery's inherently violent elements and opponents warned could broaden the law's reach in politically charged ways.
Representative Doggett, the bill sponsor, said the change makes explicit what the robbery statute already requires: the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another "by violence or putting the person in fear." Doggett told the House that robbery is currently a Class C felony and that adding it to the crime-of-violence definition…
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