Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (2024)
Defense
✓ Justia copy: laws through about 2024 (2025 and 2026 sessions missing)
- (a) A defense to prosecution for an offense in this title is so labeled by the phrase: "It is a defense to prosecution under ... that ..."
- (b) The state is not required to negate the existence of a defense in the charge alleging commission of the offense.
- (c) The issue of the existence of a defense is not submitted to the jury unless it is fairly raised by the proof.
- (d) If the issue of the existence of a defense is submitted to the jury, the court shall instruct the jury that any reasonable doubt on the issue requires the defendant to be acquitted.
- (e)
- (1) A ground of defense, other than one (1) negating an element of the offense or an affirmative defense, that is not plainly labeled in accordance with this part has the procedural and evidentiary consequences of a defense.
- (2) Defenses available under common law are hereby abolished.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 167
cases (26 in the last 5 years), 1993–2025 · leading case: State v. Bledsoe, 226 S.W.3d 349 (Tenn. 2007).
State v. Bledsoe, 226 S.W.3d 349 (Tenn. 2007). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203 Sentencing Comm’n Comments (1997); see also Culp, 900 S.”
State v. Phipps, 883 S.W.2d 138 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1994). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e)(2) (1991 Repl.”
State v. Shropshire, 874 S.W.2d 634 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1993). “Under the 1989 criminal code revisions, the legislature distinguished between a general “defense” which may arise from the proof, regardless of its source, and must only create a reasonable doubt, see T.C.A. § 39-11-203, and an “affirmative defense” which must be proven by a…”
State v. Hatcher, 310 S.W.3d 788 (Tenn. 2010). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203(c) (1997). Because duress is a general rather than an affirmative defense, a criminal defendant need not establish the elements of duress by a preponderance of the evidence in order to merit a jury instruction.”
State of Tennessee v. Ledarren S. Hawkins, 406 S.W.3d 121 (Tenn. 2013). “, See Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 39-11-203 (general defenses), -204 (affirmative defenses).”
Richardson v. Miller, 44 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “1980), superseded on other grounds by Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (1997). Where the missing evidence is a document, the party seeking the missing evidence instruction must demonstrate that the document existed and was in its adversary's exclusive control.”
State v. Hall, 958 S.W.2d 679 (Tenn. 1997). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e)(2) (1991 Repl & Supp.”
Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 (2001). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e)(2) (1997).”
State v. Ferrell, 277 S.W.3d 372 (Tenn. 2009). “(citing Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203(e) ( [1]) (1991 & Supp.”
State v. Spurlock, 874 S.W.2d 602 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1993). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e). [3] The concurring opinion states that the video tape is not exculpatory.”
State v. Ruane, 912 S.W.2d 766 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e)(2). Affirmative defenses are listed by statute.”
State v. Johnson, 909 S.W.2d 461 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “Code Ann. § 39-13-211(a). Whether the acts constitute a “knowing killing” (second degree murder) or a killing due to “adequate provocation” (voluntary manslaughter) is a question for the jury.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(a): 7 cases
State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bonner, No. W2007-02409-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. July 2, 2009).
State of Tennessee v. Jeremy Keeton, No. M2009-01811-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Mar. 8, 2011).
State of Tennessee v. Don Birdwell, No. M2008-02313-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. July 29, 2010).
State of Tennessee v. Michael Smith, No. W2013-01190-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Aug. 13, 2014).
State of Tennessee v. Derrick Dewayne Lyons, No. M2014-00178-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Feb. 4, 2015).
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(b): 2 cases
Arthur Lee Jamison, Jr. v. State of Tennessee, No. M2017-01551-CCA-R3-PC (Tenn. Crim. App. Oct. 16, 2018).
State of Tennessee v. Erskine Any Hunt, Jr., No. E2018-00500-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Mar. 21, 2019).
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(c): 55 cases
State v. Bledsoe, 226 S.W.3d 349 (Tenn. 2007). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203 Sentencing Comm’n Comments (1997); see also Culp, 900 S.”
State v. Hatcher, 310 S.W.3d 788 (Tenn. 2010). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203(c) (1997). Because duress is a general rather than an affirmative defense, a criminal defendant need not establish the elements of duress by a preponderance of the evidence in order to merit a jury instruction.”
State v. Hood, 868 S.W.2d 744 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1993).
State v. Latham, 910 S.W.2d 892 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995).
State of Tennessee v. Antoine Perrier, No. W2015-01642-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 6, 2016).
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(d): 6 cases
State v. Hodges, 944 S.W.2d 346 (Tenn. 1997).
State of Tennessee v. Paul Clifford Moore, Jr., No. E2015-00585-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. May 12, 2016).
Arthur Lee Jamison, Jr. v. State of Tennessee, No. M2017-01551-CCA-R3-PC (Tenn. Crim. App. Oct. 16, 2018).
State of Tennessee v. Curtis Logan Lawson, No. E2018-01566-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Oct. 8, 2019).
State of Tennessee v. Devan Shepherd, No. W2024-01645-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Oct. 3, 2025).
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(e): 1 case
State v. Ferrell, 277 S.W.3d 372 (Tenn. 2009). “(citing Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-203(e) ( [1]) (1991 & Supp.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(e)(1): 9 cases
State v. Phipps, 883 S.W.2d 138 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1994). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203 (e)(2) (1991 Repl.”
Derek Williamson v. State of Tennessee, 476 S.W.3d 405 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
State of Tennessee v. Paul Clifford Moore, Jr., No. E2015-00585-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. May 12, 2016).
State of Tennessee v. Brandon Scott Donaldson, No. E2016-00262-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. July 6, 2017).
State of Tennessee v. Steve M. Jarman - concurring Opinion, No. M2017-01313-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. Nov. 8, 2018).
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-203(e)(2): 4 cases
State v. Latham, 910 S.W.2d 892 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995).
State v. Porter, 2 S.W.3d 190 (Tenn. 1999).
Marquis D. Hendricks v. State of Tennessee, No. E2016-02123-CCA-R3-PC (Tenn. Crim. App. July 26, 2017).
State of Tennessee v. Douglas Bowers, No. M1999-00778-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Crim. App. July 7, 2000).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.