Name: Tennessee House GOP leader wants to increase penalties for rioting
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Tennessee House GOP leader wants to increase penalties for rioting

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Nashville TennesseanView CommentsHouse Majority Leader William Lamberth wants to increase penalties against rioters, a matter he is taking up days after violence and vandalism unfolded in Nashville.Lamberth, R-Portland, has filed an amendment to an existing bill to require that anyone charged with rioting be detained in law enforcement custody for at least 12 hours, as well as face a minimum jail sentence of 30 days if convicted&nbsp;of the crime.The amendment to &nbsp;is scheduled to be taken up in the House judiciary committee Tuesday night. That bill, which raises the fine for aggravated assault, was sponsored by Rep. Michael Curcio, R-Dickson, who chairs the committee."We have had a large number of peaceful protesters that have made it clear they don’t want these rioters ruining their message," Lamberth said, referencing events in Saturday on Nashville that turned violent as a peaceful rally downtown devolved into mayhem.Following an "I Will Breathe" rally to protest police brutality, a demonstration that had been organized by established community activists and was attended by public officials, a smaller group began smashing and attempting to set fire to a Nashville police cruiser outside of the police department's Central Precinct.The group then moved to the historic Metro Courthouse and city hall&nbsp;— painting graffiti on walls along the way&nbsp;— where people in the group began breaking windows, setting fires, spray-painting more explicit graffiti and knocking down light poles before smashing storefronts downtown.Two men so far have been charged in connection with the courthouse arson and vandalism, though only one of them faces a rioting charge.&nbsp;State law defines a riot as three or more people gathering and engaging in "tumultuous and violent conduct" that "creates grave danger of substantial damage to property or serious bodily injury to persons or substantially obstructs law enforcement or other governmental function."It's a misdemeanor, though it becomes a felony if substantial property damage occurs or someone who isn't a participant is injured."If someone is arrested for rioting, we want them away from peaceful protesters for at least 12 hours," Lamberth said. "The goal of this bill is to separate the criminal element from our peaceful, law-abiding citizens who are simply trying to make sure that their issues are heard."Adam Kleinheider, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said it's unlikely" that the Senate takes up the bill, which is not on a committee calendar or on its list of priority legislation for the remainder of session.McNally and Senate leadership have said they're focused only on bills directly related to the coronavirus pandemic, making adjustments to the budget, or time-sensitive matters, a position that is at odds with the House's plans to continue passing a wide range of bills.Kleinheider said Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon and the sponsor of the bill, hasn't requested that it be considered to fall into&nbsp;any of those categories.Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at .Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of our&nbsp;&nbsp;gets you unlimited access to all the latest politics news, podcasts like Grand Divisions, plus newsletters, a personalized mobile experience and the ability to tap into stories, photos and videos from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 261 daily sites.View Comments

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsHouse Majority Leader William Lamberth wants to increase penalties against rioters, a matter he is taking up days after violence and vandalism unfolded in Nashville.Lamberth, R-Portland, has filed an amendment to an existing bill to require that anyone charged with rioting be detained in law enforcement custody for at least 12 hours, as well as face a minimum jail sentence of 30 days if convicted&nbsp;of the crime.The amendment to &nbsp;is scheduled to be taken up in the House judiciary committee Tuesday night. That bill, which raises the fine for aggravated...

Tennessee House GOP leader wants to increase penalties for rioting

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