Spousal Rape Bill Going Nowhere - Still Legal to Rape Your Wife in TN - Ac

[Egalia]

The ten year fight to get Tennessee legislators to take the crime of spousal rape seriously is still going nowhere. The state’s good old boy legislature still doesn’t get it! According to today’s editorial in the Tennessean, “lawmakers are straining to find excuses to let the bill fail again this year.”

As I wrote in an earlier post,

A bill that would remove the spousal exemption from the state's rape law is before the TN legislature - for the tenth year in a row. It's not illegal for a man to rape his wife in this state unless he "uses a weapon, causes her serious bodily injury, or they are separated or divorcing."

When wife rape does qualify as a crime, the law treats it as a less serious crime than the rape of any other woman.

"If he held a knife to throat or beat her to a pulp while he did it, he could be looking at up to 15 years in prison. If he did the same thing to someone he never met before or even his girlfriend, he would face up to 60 years behind bars."

To date, the Tennessean is the only newspaper in the state to take a stand on this bill, or even to provide coverage (via Google search).

....

Please email Keith Olbermann and ask him to do a story on Tennessee’s archaic rape law, otherwise known as the number one reason for Tennessee women to remain single. Please help regardless of what state you reside in. If you want the South to stop leading the country into the dark pit of ignorance, then you need to help the South get out of that pit.

For the rest of the story, including contact info for Keith Olbermann, click the link below.

http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2005/05/spousal-rape-bill-going-nowhere-still.html

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Disgusting

These people have no sense or moral sense. :puke: Even if you're married when a woman says "no" to you and you continue it's still called rape for a reason.

[demnan]

2. Well it's not legal in Virginia

I was on a jury that convicted a man of raping his wife. A month after breast cancer surgery he wrapped her chest with duct tape. It was a pretty famous trial in Prince William County - the Duct Tape Rape. (Happened long before 9/11)

On edit:

This guy was a postal clerk who worked with my brother. I didn't know it at the time of the trial, but later my brother tol me this guy lead a prayer group at the postal office and was the most vocal of the Jesus freaks there.

[MaineDem]

3. I'm amazed ANY state still has a law like this

It's revolting!

[Marnieworld]

4. Do you know whether it's legal to rape a cohabitant in TN?

I have a very good friend who is living with an abusive man in TN. She has a child with him and I think they have been living together for maybe 6 years and only consecutively for 2. Would this be a common law situation that would still protect him or does she have the protection of stranger rape? I think I remember hearing about one non-consentual time but I don't think she tells me everything. Believe me I've tried to get her to go. She did for about a year but went back because of money. Now she has a job with potential so there's hope but in the meantime I"d like to know the extent of her protection.

[johnaries]

5. Contact one of these battered women shelters, they can tell you.

http://www.sboard.org/SHELTERS/TN.HTM
*Tennessee*
If you would like us to add or delete information about
your organization, please contact us using your name, a
telephone number where we can reach you, and the name of
the director of your agency. You may contact us by sending
email to [e-mail]


Tennessee Task Force Against Family Violence>
P.O. Box 120972
Nashville TN 37212
615-327-0805
[phone] State Hotline


Haven House, Inc.
P.O. Box 134
Alcoa TN 37701

Business #: 615-983-6818
Hotline/Crisis: 615-982-1087


The Health, Opportunity, Protection, Encouragement Center
H.O.P.E.
P.O. Box 1561
Athens TN 37303
Business #: 615-745-5289
Hotline/Crisis: 615-745-5289


Abuse Alternatives, Inc.
P.O. Box 3388
Bristol TN 37625
Business #: 615-968-7957
Hotline/Crisis: 615-764-ABUS


Women Are Safe
P.O. Box 2
Centerville TN 37033
Business #: 615-729-9885
Hotline/Crisis: 615-729-3358


Family Violence Services Shelter
P.O. Box 6234
Chattanooga TN 37401
Business #: 615-755-2840
Hotline/Crisis: 615-755-2700


United Methodist Urban Ministries Safehouse
P.O. Box 324
Clarksville TN 37041
Business #: 615-648-9100
Hotline/Crisis: 615-552-6900


Harbor Safe House
485 Second Street, S.E.
Cleveland TN 37311
Business #: 615-479-9339
Hotline/Crisis: 615-476-3886


Hope House
Maury County Center Against D.V.
P.O. Box 1961
Columbia TN 38401
Business #: 615-381-8580
Hotline/Crisis: 615-381-8580


P.O. Box 1183
Cookeville TN 38501
Business #: 615-526-5197
Hotline/Crisis: 615-526-4730


Battered Women, Inc.
P.O. Box 3063
Crossville TN 38557
Business #: 615-456-0747
Hotline/Crisis: 615-484-4642
Toll Free: [phone]


Northwest Safeline
P.O. Box 1831
Dyersburg, TN 38025
Business #: 901-285-6470
Hotline/Crisis #: 901-285-7233


Hannah's House
P.O. Box 152
Fayetteville, TN 37334
Business #: 615-433-6604
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-438-0701


Home Safe in Sumner County
650 North Water Street
Gallatin, TN 37066
Business #: 615-452-5439
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-452-4315


CHIPS
Route 1 Box 536
Irwin, TN 37650
Business #: 615-743-4743
Hotline/Crisis#: N/A


Wo/Men's Resource & Rape Assistance Pro. WRAP
49 Old Hickory Blvd.
Jackson, TN 38305
Business #: 901-664-9727
Hotline/Crisis #: 901-664-9727
Toll Free #: 800-273-8712


SAFE House, Inc.
P.O. Box 3426
Kingsport, TN 37664
Business #: 615-246-1619
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-246-2273


Kent C. Withers Family Crisis Center/Child & Family
2460 E. 5th
Knoxville, TN 37917
Business #: 615-673-3066
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-637-8000


Serenity Shelter
P.O. Box 3352
Knoxville, TN 37927
Business # 615-673-6551
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-971-4673


Victim Advocacy Program YWCA
420 W. Clinch Ave.
Knoxville TN 37902
Business # 615-523-6126
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-637-5263


Home Safe in Wilson County
P.O. Box 1376
Labanon, TN 37088
Business #: 615-452-5439
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-444-8955


The Shelter Inc.
P.O Box 769
Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Business #: Not to be listed
Hotline/Crisis #: 931-762-1115
web address: [e-mail].


Domestic Violence Crisis Center
P.O. Box 802
Lenoir City, TN 37771
Business #: 615-986-3199
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-988-7867


Madison Domestic Violence Shelter
Box 419
Madison, TN 37116
Business #: 615-868-1643
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-860-0003


Families In Crisis, Inc
P.O. Box 621
McMinnville, TN 37110
Business #: 615-473-6543
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-473-6221
Toll Free #: 1-800-675-0766


YWCA Abused Women's Services
766 S. Highland St.
Memphis, TN 38111
Business #: 901-725-5861
Hotline/Crisis #: 901-458-1661


Mid-Cumberland Mt. Ministry
Family Violence Hotline
P.O. Box 706
Monteagle, TN 37356
Business #: 615-924-3380
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-924-8484


C.E.A.S.E (Community Effort Against Spouse Abuse)
P.O. Box 3359
Morristown, TN 37815
Business #: 615-581-7029
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-581-2220


Domestic Violence Program, Inc.
P.O. Box 2652
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
Business #: 615-896-2032
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-896-2012


Salvation Army
631 N. 1st Street
Nashville, TN 37207
Business #: 615-242-0411
Hotline/Crisis #:


YWCA My Sisters House
c/o 1608 Woodmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37215
Business #: 615-790-9686
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-790-9686


YWCA Shelter and Domestic Violence Program
1608 Woodmont Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37215
Business #: 615-297-8756
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-297-8833


Safe Space/CCADV
P.O. Box 831
Newport, TN 37821
Business #: 615-623-7734
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-623-3125
Toll Free #: 1-800-244-5968

YWCA of Oakridge
1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Business #: 615-482-0005
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-482-9922


Home Safe in Robertson County
P.O. Box 362
Springfield, TN 37172
Business #: 615-452-5439
Hotline/Crisis #: 382-0829


Haven of Hope
P.O. Box 1671
Tullahoma, TN 37388
Business #: 615-857-9011
Hotline/Crisis #: 615-684-7133

You can reach The Sounding Board Counseling Center at:

Voice: 614.231.1164
FAX: [phone]

[Marnieworld]

6. Wow! That's a lot of info.

Thanks. She lives in Nashville and I'll make sure that she gets this info.

[sandnsea]

7. Unreal

I thought these laws were fixed years ago. Doing our part:

Wives Still At Risk From Rapist Husbands
16 May 2005

Tennessee Guerilla Women are sounding the alarm on an issue that ought to horrify every man and woman in this country. After all these years, we STILL have states that do not treat the rape of a wife the same as the rape of every other woman.

For the tenth year in a row, legislation has been introduced to remove the spousal exemption and provide equal penalties. If a man rapes his wife, he is only guilty of a crime if he "uses a weapon, causes her serious bodily injury, or they are separated or divorcing." To make matters worse, "If he held a knife to throat or beat her to a pulp while he did it, he could be looking at up to 15 years in prison. If he did the same thing to someone he never met before or even his girlfriend, he would face up to 60 years behind bars."

Tennessee isn’t the only state with such archaic laws. In Arizona, the punishment for spousal rape is 1 ½ years. That law is being tested by prosecutors who have filed kidnapping and traditional rape charges in a case where a woman was attacked by her husband, “who choked her, dragged her by the hair and raped her so many times before the sun came up that she lost count, police say.”

In Texas, a serial rapist of wives and girlfriends was actually given a $10,000 fine and probation!! His first rape charge, that was later dropped, occurred while he was in college. The second, also testified to at trial, was to a woman who later found out that her marriage was never recorded and that he was still married to someone else. The third rape was to another wife and the one that he was finally “convicted” of. He is now married again and lives in Milwaukee. He is 26. Free on probation.

Perhaps this is the kind of case that Tennessee Rep. Frank Buck worries about when he talks of innocent men being wrongly charged by lying, conniving women. Yes, that is the concern of the Democratic Representative who has four daughters. The difficulty of proving a rape case in court escapes him. For others, the concern is the $100,000 a year it is projected to cost to imprison these pillars of the community.

Tennessee Guerilla Women want to “shine a little national embarrassment” on their esteemed legislature, made up of 83% men. They would like us to contact Keith Olbermann and ask him to invite Frank Buck to come on his show and defend his position. Don’t forget to send Mr. Buck a little chastisement too. Be sure and tell him that we womenfolk are ever so grateful for such a strong, virile protector.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=900

[MountainLaurel]

8. Oh. My. God.

I guess these fascist fucks haven't gotten a memo that marriage is no longer akin to buying a human being, and that women are no longer to be considered her husband's property.