(a) No person may be convicted of an offense unless each of the following is proven beyond a reasonable doubt:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-11-201

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • 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
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
(1) The conduct, circumstances surrounding the conduct, or a result of the conduct described in the definition of the offense;
(2) The culpable mental state required;
(3) The negation of any defense to an offense defined in this title if admissible evidence is introduced supporting the defense; and
(4) The offense was committed prior to the return of the formal charge.
(b) In the absence of the proof required by subsection (a), the innocence of the person is presumed.
(c) A person charged with an offense has no burden to prove innocence.
(d) Evidence produced at trial, whether presented on direct or cross-examination of state or defense witnesses, may be utilized by either party.
(e) No person may be convicted of an offense unless venue is proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
(f) If the issue is raised in defense, no person shall be convicted of an offense unless jurisdiction and the commission of the offense within the time period specified in title 40, chapter 2 are proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
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