(a) A person commits an offense if, without the consent of the owner, the person acquires or otherwise exercises control over an animal facility, an animal from an animal facility, or other property from an animal facility with the intent to deprive the owner of the facility, animal, or property and to disrupt the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.
criminal case

Ask a criminal law question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-14-803

  • Agriculture: means :
    (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Animal: means any warm-blooded or cold-blooded animal or insect which is being used in food or fiber production, agriculture, research, testing, or education, including, but not limited to, hogs, equines, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, rabbits, poultry, fish, and bees. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Animal facility: means any vehicle, building, structure, pasture, paddock, pond, impoundment, or premises where an animal is kept, handled, housed, exhibited, bred, or offered for sale and any office, building, or structure where records or documents relating to an animal or to animal research, testing, production, or education are maintained. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Consent: means assent in fact, whether express or implied, by the owner or by a person legally authorized to act for the owner which is not:
    (A) Induced by force, threat, false pretenses, or fraud. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deprive: means unlawfully to withhold from the owner, interfere with the possession of, free, or dispose of an animal or other property. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Disrupt: means to engage in conduct that materially interferes with the operations of the animal facility in a manner such that the activities conducted by or in the facility are permanently or temporarily halted, compromised, delayed, harmed or impaired. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Owner: means a person who has title to the property, lawful possession of the property, or a greater right to possession of the property than the actor. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Person: means any individual, corporation, association, nonprofit corporation, joint-stock company, firm, trust, partnership, two (2) or more persons having a joint or common interest, or other legal entity. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • Property: means any real or personal property and includes any document, record, research data, paper, or computer storage medium. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 39-14-802
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) A person commits an offense if, without the consent of the owner, the person damages or destroys an animal facility or damages, frees, or destroys any animal or property in or on an animal facility with the intent to disrupt or damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility and the damage or loss thereto exceeds five hundred dollars ($500).
(c)

(1) A person commits an offense if, without the consent of the owner, the person damages or destroys an animal facility or damages, frees, or destroys any animal or property in or on an animal facility and the damage or loss thereto is five hundred dollars ($500) or less, or enters or remains on an animal facility with the intent to disrupt or damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility, and the person:

(A) Had notice that the entry was forbidden;
(B) Knew or should have known that the animal facility was or had closed to the public; or
(C) Received notice to depart but failed to do so.
(2) For purposes of this subsection (c), “notice” means:

(A) Oral or written communication by the owner or someone with actual or apparent authority to act for the owner;
(B) The presence of fencing or other type of enclosure or barrier designed to exclude intruders or to contain animals; or
(C) A sign or signs posted on the property or at the entrance to the building, reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders, indicating that entry is forbidden.
(d) This part does not apply to, affect, or otherwise prohibit actions taken by the department of agriculture, any other federal, state, or local department or agency, or any official, employee or agent thereof while in the exercise or performance of any power or duty imposed by law or by rule and regulation.
  Previous section
Next section  
 Part 8 Contents