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Tennessee Supreme Court weighs whether belief a person was a minor can sustain trafficking conviction in State v. Bayless
Summary
At a December 2025 "Scales" session at Bryan College, the Tennessee Supreme Court heard arguments over whether a defendant’s belief that a person was under 18 — including when the person was an undercover officer — satisfies the trafficking statute’s elements, or whether the statute requires proof the person actually was a minor.
The Tennessee Supreme Court heard oral argument in State of Tennessee v. Anthony Cornelius Bayless during its December 2025 Scales session at Bryan College, focusing on whether the state may prove a trafficking offense by the defendant’s belief that the other person was a minor or must prove the person was actually under 18. Chief Justice Jeff Bivens opened the session, calling Scales "the supreme court advancing legal education for students," and the court recessed for student questioning after arguments.
Defense attorney Bob Jolly told the justices there was "no proof in this record that Anthony Bayless subjected anyone to any act," and argued the statutory definition relied on by prosecutors requires proof the person…
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