SB 1453/HB 1084 would reduce adverse interactions between members of the community and police officers by reducing the amount of time in which a warrant or summons for a misdemeanor must be served, returned or quashed before it is automatically terminated and removed from the records.
Currently in Tennessee, a warrant for a misdemeanor can remain active for five years. This means a person could commit a petty offense in 2016 and be arrested in 2021, even if the police did not bother seeking out the person in the intervening years – and even if the person did not know they had an outstanding warrant. Interactions in which police appear unexpectedly to arrest someone for something minor from years ago while they are going about their daily lives – going to work, taking their child to school, or even dealing with an emergency – could quickly escalate.
