NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A bill that was filed with the 110th Tennessee General Assembly to address bounty hunter regulations in the state was defeated in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee this week.
Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) said the bill was defeated by voice vote without a single question being asked.
“I regret we were unable to see this bill advance. We worked with law enforcement, and the bail bond industry for several months to come up with some very common sense changes that would enhance public safety,” Rep. Pitts said. “The vote was a surprise given the lack of questions or concerns raised by the committee during the hearing. I hope another tragedy, like the one in our community in 2017, doesn’t happen before needed changes are made.”
The legislation was filed in response to the shooting death of an innocent man by bounty hunters in Clarksville. The bounty hunters and bail bondsmen were allegedly engaged in a high speed chase that resulted in the death of 24-year-old Jalen Johnson (Milan).