TCA § 39-11-101 — Objectives of criminal code

The general objectives of the criminal code are to: Proscribe and prevent conduct that unjustifiably and inexcusably causes or threatens harm to individual, property, or public interest for which protection through the criminal law is appropriate; Give fair warning of what conduct is prohibited, and guide the exercise of official discretion in law enforcement, by defining the act and the culpable mental state that together constitute an offense; Give fair warning of the consequences of violation, and guide the exercise of official discretion in punishment, by grading of offenses; and Prescribe penalties that are proportionate to the seriousness of the offense.