Nashville, Tenn.–Tennessee House Representative Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, has filed a bill called “Kyle’s Law” for this legislative session that would require the state to reimburse people charged with murder and found not guilty if it was determined the accused was acting in lawful self-defense. The reimbursement by the state would be for reasonable costs such as loss of wages and legal fees incurred in defending against a malicious prosecution.
According to Griffey, “The bill is named after Kyle Rittenhouse, who was charged with 1st degree murder as a result of defending himself against three convicted felons after being chased, assaulted, and a gun pointed at his head amid violent riots and lawless business lootings and arsons.”
Griffey said, “Kyle Rittenhouse had to defend himself not only against a first-degree murder charge over the course of a year-plus politically-motivated prosecution and a two week jury trial, but also against widespread defamation and false branding by corrupt media outlets, simply for exercising his American, God-given right to self-defense.”
“Luckily, Kyle Rittenhouse was rightfully acquitted of all charges, but not after thousands of dollars were expended on attorney fees for his legal defense, reputational damage was incurred and emotional stress was suffered. Kyle Rittenhouse can never fully be made whole for what he was forced to endure, but under the law I’m proposing, if someone in TN is placed in the same situation as Kyle Rittenhouse in the future, he/she can at least be financially compensated. My bill will help deter what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse from happening to someone in Tennessee and will help protect the right of Tennesseans to self-defense,” Griffey continued.
“My legislation, just as Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal, underscores the importance not only of our right to self-defense, but also the protections afforded by the Second Amendment of our Constitution. As a long-time Second Amendment advocate, this is not the first-time I have sought to strengthen protection to gun owners who exercise their self-defense right. In 2019, I filed and pushed for passage of my ‘Stand Your Ground’ bill,” concluded Griffey.
Not only is Griffey pushing for passage of “Kyle’s Law” in Tennessee, but he is also presenting Kyle Rittenhouse with a Proclamation, honoring him as a “a hero who selflessly defended his community, protected businesses, and acted lawfully in the face of lawlessness” and “a symbol of things that the Left is trying to destroy—our Constitution and our Second Amendment gun rights” who “provides a light of hope that we can fight back against the enemies of our Constitution and win”.