Lee signs law allowing attorney general to intervene in local prosecutors' decisions - Yahoo News

Gov. Bill Lee ​​​​​on Friday signed a law allowing state level intervention in prosecutorial decisions of local district attorneys.

The new law, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, in October's special session, gives the attorney general the power to go to the state Supreme Court in the hopes of temporarily replacing local district attorneys on cases they "peremptorily and categorically" refuse to prosecute.

The court would still retain the authority to decide whether the circumstances flagged by the attorney general merit appointing a temporary prosecutor.

Although the law will allow the attorney general to step into decisions by any of the district attorneys in the state, it's clear it aims to target recent blanket prosecution decisions by Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk.

Funk said recently he had no idea this bill was coming until he saw an early draft of the bill during the special session.

He compared it to attempts by GOP lawmakers earlier in the year to oust Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle, which ended in the creation of a so-called "super court" where a three-judge panel is assigned to review challenges to state law.

Funk in August announced he would not prosecute teachers for requiring masks "for keeping children safe," after a query from local elected officials on the topic.

What Metro Police officer is going to go out and arrest a principal, a teacher just trying to keep kids safe," he told The Tennessean. "What Davidson County judge is going to sign a warrant? Even if the legislature or the governor decides to step in and send in the Tennessee Highway Patrol, what judge will sign off on that warrant? What jury would convict?"

Funk also refused to enforce a state law from earlier this year, which requires businesses to post signs if they provide gender-friendly bathrooms to transgender people.

source: https://news.yahoo.com/lee-signs-law-allowing-attorney-223029837.html

Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.