(a) Except as qualified by subsections (b) and (c), conduct is justified if the person reasonably believes the conduct is required or authorized by law, by the judgment or order of a competent court or other tribunal, or in the execution of legal process.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-11-610

  • Force: means compulsion by the use of physical power or violence and shall be broadly construed to accomplish the purposes of this title. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Property: means anything of value, including, but not limited to, money, real estate, tangible or intangible personal property, including anything severed from land, library material, contract rights, choses-in-action, interests in or claims to wealth, credit, admission or transportation tickets, captured or domestic animals, food and drink, electric or other power. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Public servant: means :
    (A) Any public officer or employee of the state or of any political subdivision of the state or of any governmental instrumentality within the state including, but not limited to, law enforcement officers. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
(b) The following sections of this part control:

(1) When force is threatened or used against a person to protect persons, pursuant to §§ 39-11-611 – 39-11-613;
(2) To protect property, pursuant to §§ 39-11-614 – 39-11-616; or
(3) For law enforcement, pursuant to § 39-11-620.
(c) The justification afforded by this section is available if:

(1) The person reasonably believes the court or tribunal has jurisdiction or the process is lawful, even though the court or tribunal lacks jurisdiction or the process is unlawful; or
(2) The person reasonably believes the conduct is required or authorized to assist a public servant in the performance of the public servant’s official duty, even though the public servant exceeds the public servant’s lawful authority.
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