TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on May 14, 2024

The state Court of Appeals last week ruled that game wardens with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) must obtain warrants before entering private property. The Tennessee Lookout reports that a three-judge panel concluded TWRA’s warrantless forays onto private property violate Article 1, Section 7 of the Tennessee Constitution, which reads in part: “The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions, from unreasonable searches and seizures.” The decision will require TWRA to seek judicial warrants based on probable cause that a crime has been committed before entering private property — the same rules that bind every other law enforcement agency in the state.