Tennessee appellate panel hears dispute over warrantless entries and standing in State v. May

An appellate panel in Tennessee heard arguments in the appeal of Steve May on whether police conducted unconstitutional, warrantless entries onto private property and whether evidence seized after those entries should have been suppressed.

In opening argument, defense counsel Daniel Turclay framed the case as a narrow dispute about the limits of police entry: "This is a case about a man and a dog," he said, describing a late‑night call about a man petting a homeowner's dog and a subsequent police encounter with a red Jeep on private land. Turclay told the panel the officers entered past fencing and a "no trespassing" sign, did not identify themselves, and that the operation involved three separate incursions — the initial approach, a later SRT return about 30–45 minutes later, and a warrantless breach of the dwelling where officers found Miss Hale with rifles. "Not…