Opinion ID: 1060645
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Purpose of the Tennessee Cite and Release Statute

Text: The objective standard adopted by this Court is supported by the purpose of the cite and release statute and its identification exception. When an officer observes the commission of certain misdemeanors, the officer is required to issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest. Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-7-118(b)(1) (1997). The misdemeanant must sign the citation, requiring him or her to appear in court on a specified day and time. Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-7-118(a)(1) (1997). The result is that individuals who have committed relatively minor offenses are released, but only on the promise that they will appear in court. This permits allowing the use of jail space for dangerous individuals and/or felons.... Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-7-118(m)(3) (1997). In essence, Tennessee's cite and release statute works on an honor system, operating under the assumption that the misdemeanant will act in good faith by furnishing accurate identification so that an officer can be assured that the misdemeanant is actually the person he or she claims to be. See Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-7-118(c)(3) & (b)(1) (1997); see also Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 101 Cal.Rptr. 837, 496 P.2d at 1216; Monroe, 16 Cal.Rptr.2d at 284-85 (Smith, J., dissenting)(finding that California's cite and release statute works on an honor system). [12] The exception empowers an officer to effect a custodial arrest only when the identity of a misdemeanant is in doubt, but not solely because a misdemeanant is not carrying approved government papers. See Satterwhite, 1995 WL 29200, at . To this end, an officer's discretion is limited. An officer may not make unreasonable or arbitrary determinations as to what constitutes satisfactory evidence of identification. See Monroe, 16 Cal.Rptr.2d at 286 (Smith, J., dissenting).