Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Jillian’s law passes Senate floor

As part of a strong push to improve public safety in Tennessee, this bill would close a legal loophole for defendants found incompetent to stand trial.

Senate Bill 1769, would require criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial to be committed to an appropriate treatment facility. Current state law does not provide this requirement.

The legislation was introduced following the murder of Jillian Ludwig, an 18-year-old Belmont University freshman who was fatally shot while walking in a Nashville park on Nov. 7, 2023. Her killer, Shaquille Taylor, was a...