The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an opinion applying the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms to stun guns. The case is Caetano v. Massachusetts. It involved a woman who was carrying a stun gun as protection against a former boyfriend. On one occasion, she had to display ...

It comes as a surprise to many that federal law strictly regulates transfers of firearms between residents of different states. This is not something new. It is part of the Gun Control Act of 1968, 18 U.S. Code §922. In particular, under 18 U.S. Code §922(a)(3), it is illegal for ...

Possession of weapons in parks is governed by Tenn. Code 39-17-1311. Generally, it is an offense for a person to carry certain weapons in or on the grounds of any public park owned by the state, counties, cities or towns. There are exceptions for law enforcement officers, security guards and ...

A person who has been “adjudicated as a mental defective” or who has been committed to a mental institution may not lawfully possess firearms or ammunition under federal and Tennessee law. 18 U.S. Code §922 and Tenn. Code. Ann. §39-17-(f)(1)(C). There is a procedure in the U.S. Code for relief ...

Perhaps the biggest, and least noticed, change in Tennessee firearms law is Tenn. Code §39-17-1307(e). This provision allows anyone who can legally possess a “firearm” (handgun, rifle or shotgun) to possess or carry a firearm and ammunition in a motor vehicle of which they lawfully possess. (An armed car thief ...

Duties of the personal representative or executor of an estate (I’ll use ‘executor’ for both) include gathering, protecting and distributing assets that belonged to the deceased. In this part of the country, firearms are frequently part of the estate. After the firearms are safely unloaded and securely stored, it’s time ...

In 2013, Tennessee enacted the so-called “guns in trunks law”, Tenn. Code §39-17-1313. This provided a defense to a criminal prosecution for a handgun carry permit holder, if parked on property where the owner prohibited firearm possession. However, the statute did not specifically prohibit an employer from firing an employee ...

The National Firearms Act (NFA) regulates such items as machine guns, short-barrel rifles and shotguns and suppressors. Some persons choose to have a trust own the NFA-regulated item, rather than own them as an individual. A trust is a legal entity that is separate from the individuals, much like a ...

In 1989, Tennessee substantially revised its criminal laws. The revisions changed everything from definitions used in the statutes to sentencing. One of the changes strengthened the law of self-defense and defense of others, when the use of force occurred in one’s home: Tenn. Code Ann. 39-11-611(a). Any person using force ...

So-called "stand your ground" laws have been in the news recently. A great deal of the commentary has lacked understanding, been misinformed or just plain wrong. Essentially, these laws provide that when a person is threatened with force, they have no duty to retreat before using force to defend themselves ...