Tennessee Supreme Court – No Warrant Blood Sample OK

The Tennessee Supreme Court, in a 4-1 decision, has ruled a blood sample from a driver in a fatal car accident can be included as trial evidence even though no warrant was obtained by police.

The court said that the officer, who drew the sample in a 2011 accident investigation, was acting in good faith based on the state’s interpretation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.  The U.S. SC had ruled blood may be drawn from drunken driving suspects without a warrant but that U.S. SC ruling was eventually overturned.

In the lone dissent, a justice said that the decision erodes protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

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