After hearing appeals from the parents of torture-murder victims Channon Christian and Chris Newsom, the Senate Judiciary Committee members unanimously approved two bills they said could ease some of the heartbreak they suffered in the state’s judicial system.
Mary Newsom told the senators she and her husband, Gary, have joined Gary and Deena Christian in pushing for passage of judicial system changes “so no other family will have to go through the same devastation that we did.”
She focused her testimony on SB1796, which revises the rules for a judge acting as a “13th juror” at the conclusion of a criminal trial. The judge in Christian-Newsom trial did not sign a required form and, after he was removed from the bench, a successor judge decided he could not – triggering a series of problems in upholding convictions of the killers.
Deena Christian focused her testimony on SB1797, which puts new restrictions on what a criminal defendants and their attorneys can do in trying to portray a victim in a negative light before a jury. She said attorneys for defendant Lemaricus Davidson “lied to everybody about our daughter,” falsely claiming Channon had associated with Davidson and abused illegal drugs.
“The laws as they exist today protect the defendant,” she said, since their past cannot be brought up. “They are allowed to bring up the victim’s past even if they lie about it.”
Both bills passed 9-0 without debate or discussion beyond sponsor Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, explaining them and senators expressing sympathy for the families and appreciation for their testimony.
The parents said they plan to return to testify before a House committee in two weeks. House sponsor Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, said he is optimistic about approval there as well.