Could Morgan Wallen Go to Jail?
Morgan Wallen is seen smiling in a mug shot taken after his most recent arrest, but the charges against him could come with a serious sentence.
He's been charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor after he allegedly threw a chair off the roof of Chief's, Eric Church's new bar in downtown Nashville. If convicted to the full extent of the law, he won't be making music for awhile.
- Wallen was arrested just before 11PM on Sunday (April 7).
- TMZ found video of a chair being thrown from the roof at that time, but it's not possible to see who threw it.
- Staff at Chief's pointed at Wallen when police asked who did it. Two MNPD officers were standing outside the bar, just a few feet from where the chair landed.
A few hours after being taken away in handcuffs, Morgan posted bond of $15,250 and was released. His court date is set for May 3.
What Is Morgan Wallen Charged With?
Wallen was charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. Justia provides a very clean definition of what that means in Tennessee, including what separates felony reckless endangerment from the misdemeanor variety.
A person commits an offense who recklessly engages in conduct that places or may place another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.
There are actually several types of felony reckless endangerment, but two of them (Class C and Class D) involve a firearm. Wallen's offense wouldn't qualify for those, leaving a Class E felony, for which the "weapon" is more broadly defined.
Tennessee law states that, "Reckless endangerment committed with a deadly weapon is a Class E felony."
Could Morgan Wallen Go to Jail?
Sentencing guidelines are clear. Per Tennessee law firms like Best and Brock in Chattanooga, Tenn., sentencing terms for a Class E felony are:
- Not less than one year nor more than six years imprisonment.
- The jury may also assess a fine not to exceed $3,000.
Since Wallen's arrest, legal experts have been popping up on cable news to explain that while these are the sentencing guidelines for a felony, prosecutors may have the option of reducing charges to a misdemeanor. That would mean a sentence "not greater than 11 months, 29 days, or a fine not to exceed $2,500, or both."
The crux of the charges surrounds how deadly prosecutors (and then a judge) believe a chair to be when tossed from more than 50 feet high, on o a street that holds hundreds if not thousands of passers-by at any given time. They may also consider that nobody was injured.
If there is no precedent yet, there's about to be.
Wallen and his team have not commented on the incident. His lawyer did release an initial statement confirming his arrest and stating that the star is cooperating with authorities.
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Gallery Credit: Wood