State of Tennessee v. Jefferson C. Pennington

Case Number
01S01-9607-PB-00133

We review this cause to determine whether detention immediately after arrest, purposely continued because of the accused’s refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test, constitutes punishment that prevents, under double jeopardy principles, punishment upon conviction. Because we find that jeopardy did not attach to the proceedings before the judicial commissioner and because the detention, even if punitive, did not constitute punishment for the charged offenses, we find no double jeopardy violation. Accordingly, the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is reversed, the indictments are reinstated, and the cause is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings.

Authoring Judge
Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge
Judge James R. Everett
Case Name
State of Tennessee v. Jefferson C. Pennington
Date Filed
Dissent or Concur
No
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