Source: http://search.mleesmith.com/tca/40-35-0102.html
Timestamp: 2016-02-06 18:25:27
Document Index: 780823279

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 40', '§ 6', '§ 21', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1']

40-35-0102
TCA 40-35-102: Purpose of chapter.
The foremost purpose of this chapter is to promote justice, as manifested by § 40-35-103. In so doing, the following principles are adopted:
(2) This chapter is to assure fair and consistent treatment of all defendants by eliminating unjustified disparity in sentencing and providing a fair sense of predictability of the criminal law and its sanctions;
(C) Encouraging effective rehabilitation of those defendants, where reasonably feasible, by promoting the use of alternative sentencing and correctional programs that elicit voluntary cooperation of
(D) Encouraging restitution to victims where appropriate; (4) Sentencing should exclude all considerations respecting race, gender, creed, religion, national origin and social status of the individual;
(5) In recognition that state prison capacities and the funds to build and maintain them are limited, convicted felons committing the most severe offenses, possessing criminal histories evincing a clear disregard for the
laws and morals of society and evincing failure of past efforts at rehabilitation shall be given first priority regarding sentencing involving incarceration; and
(6) (A) A defendant who does not fall within the parameters of subdivision (5), and who is an especially mitigated or standard offender convicted of a Class C, D or E felony, should be considered as a favorable
candidate for alternative sentencing options in the absence of evidence to the contrary; however, a defendants prior convictions shall be considered evidence to the contrary and, therefore, a defendant who is being sentenced for a third or subsequent
felony conviction involving separate periods of incarceration or supervision shall not be considered a favorable candidate for alternative sentencing;
(B) As used in subdivision (6)(A), "separate periods of incarceration or supervision" means that the defendant serves and is released or discharged from a period of incarceration or supervision for the
commission of a felony prior to committing another felony;
(C) If a defendant with at least three (3) felony convictions is otherwise eligible, that defendant may still be considered a favorable candidate for any alternative sentencing that is within the
jurisdiction of and deemed appropriate by a drug court;
History: [Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 6; 1990, ch. 980, § 21; 1994, ch. 736, § 1; 2005, ch. 353, § 1; 2007, ch. 512, § 1.]