Tennessee Supreme Court justices could use the case of the ringleader of a 2007 double slaying of a young Knoxville couple to craft new law.
Media outlets report that the justices heard arguments Wednesday in Knoxville in the appeal of Lemaricus Davidson, who was sentenced to die for his role in the carjacking, kidnapping, beating, rape and killings of 21-year-old Channon Christian and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Christopher Newsom.
The justices said they are interested in using a search warrant foul-up to explore the possibility of crafting what is known as a "good faith exception."
Davidson's defense team says the trial court should not have allowed evidence from searches of Davidson's house because the search warrant wasn't signed in the correct place. Investigators found Christian's body during the search.
Federal courts have used good faith exceptions to forgive mistakes such as clerical errors, but no such exception currently exists in Tennessee courts.
