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Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-146

Theft of property — Conduct involving merchandise

Applied in 2 court decisions — leading case State Ex Rel. Newsom v. Biggers (1995)

Most recently applied in State of Tennessee v. Antonio Henderson (October 2017)

Acts 1991, ch. 237, § 1; 2017, ch. 184, §§ 1, 2.

(1) For purposes of § 39-14-103, a person commits theft of property if the person, with the intent to deprive a merchant of the stated price of merchandise, knowingly commits any of the following acts: Conceals the merchandise;

(2) Removes, takes possession of, or causes the removal of merchandise;

(3) Alters, transfers or removes any price marking, or any other marking which aids in determining value affixed to the merchandise;

(4) Transfers the merchandise from one (1) container to another;

(5) Causes the cash register or other sales recording device to reflect less than the merchant's stated price for the merchandise;

(6) Removes, destroys, deactivates, or evades any component of an anti-shoplifting or inventory control device to commit or facilitate a theft;

(7) Uses any artifice, instrument, container, device, or other article to commit or facilitate a theft; or

(8) Activates or interferes with a fire alarm system to commit or facilitate a theft.

(9) In a theft prosecution under this section, unless applicable, the state is not required to prove that the defendant obtained or exercised control over the merchandise as required in a prosecution under § 39-14-103.

(10) Notwithstanding any other law, a fifth or subsequent conviction in a two-year period shall be punished one (1) classification higher than provided by § 39-14-105, and subject to a fine of not less than three hundred dollars ($300) nor more than the maximum fine established for the appropriate offense classification.

Current official text: Tennessee Code (LexisNexis). Digitized from the UniCourt Code Improvement Commission public-domain capture. Reproduced from public-domain Tennessee statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.