Pinkston prosecutorial practice: ‘No constitutional “right to travel,”’ & that’s that
Neal Pinkston, state prosecutor in Hamilton County, Tenn. (Photo WDEF.com) Tennessee court policy denies any right to travel exists, except in one instance. And that is the “individual right to move between states,” to change one’s domicile from Tennessee, say, to Florida. That’s the point made by Neal Pinkston, the elected state’s attorney in Hamilton […]
Cops drag woman out of car under commercial transportation law
Diana Watt, after being handcuffed, is ordered out of a car; the officer is counting down the time for her to act before he drags her out under the commercial transportation statute at Title 55, which requires the state to exhaust its administrative remedies. (Photo Jalonda Oattes on Facebook) Police’s routine claims upon travelers are […]
City’s poor get relief, cops avoid liability suits — fruits of administrative notice
East Ridge, Tenn., having been notified about limits of the state transportation law, should act to protect its officers from litigation if they over-enforce Tenn. Code Ann. Title 55, which grants police powers only over commercial users of the roads. (Photo East Ridge city government) Tennessee has a reasonable and just transportation law. But East […]
Traffic court misuses statute, bullies poor people, upholds fiction about ‘transportation’
Christina Wright, a fast-food shift manager, is unable to get a license because the test keeps changing. She travels the roads freely, but faces arrest under an abusively used statute directed solely at licensees. (Photo David Tulis) Traffic court is a venue for maintaining among the commonest people the idea that no liberty of travel […]
Paying penny a day, people yield rights, avoid the accuser
Coal and nuclear utility TVA runs a police army that enforces traffic laws against private users of the roads, and claims jurisdiction to enforce transportation statutes anywhere in the state at any time. (Photo TVA) My correspondent Levi is a working man in middle Tennessee. A self-made legal scholar, Levi often sends me trenchant analyses […]
Will Hammond obey law, or follow black robes? Key question in race
Sheriff Jim Hammond talks to the Hamilton County school board about armed attacks against students and teachers. Sheriff Hammond has been notified that transportation stops against private travelers are outside the scope of Tennessee transportation statutes, and constitute an oppression. (Photo Hamilton County sheriff’s office) The main question in the race between Sheriff Jim Hammond […]
Oppressed ‘Fiddle Man of Lawrenceburg’ pleads with sheriff to obey law
Jimmy Brown, center, is the second Tennessee sheriff to receive an administrative notice about the state transportation law. He oversees Lawrence County, Tenn., sheriff’s office. The first to get the notice is Sheriff Jim Hammond of Hamilton County. (Photo Lawrence County sheriff’s office) The following is a cover letter to a copy of a notice […]
East Ridge, Chattanooga should consider becoming safe havens from Title 55
Front page of East Ridge traffic court docket April 24, 2018. (Photo David Tulis) Cities across Tennessee already are sanctuary cities, even though a bill to prevent sanctuary cities was approved in the general assembly. A bill to prevent local governments from taking a position on immigration and the legal status newcomers to the country […]
Berke would make enemies if takes tough action over roadside abuses
Mayor Andy Berke of Chattanooga celebrates residents’ creativity in his state of the city speech April 19. (Photo Andy Berke) Ending police abuse of the traveling public in Chattanooga and beyond is an exciting prospect that will increase freedom and liberty in the area, draw more people to live and prosper here, and become an […]
7 reasons mayors, sheriffs will refuse adding single question to traffic arrest protocol
Jeremiah resisted false prophets who rejected warnings from God because they had always done things the same way and could not change, even if for the better and obedience to their creator. (Image from woodcut from Eduard Bendemann, Museum Kunstpalast) The universal abuse of Tennessee driver’s license law cries for reform from the ground up, […]