From the D.A.’s office: Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Friday that the D.A.’s Office approved charging Memphis City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove-Chalmers for allegedly submitting false information to receive a duplicate Tennessee driver license.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol on October 28 filed the charges of offense for a person to issue, sell or cause to be sold a driver license (TCA 55-50-602) and possessing a duplicate driver license not authorized by this chapter (TCA 55-60-601[7]) against Fullilove.
The charges are class A misdemeanors.
Fullilove turned herself in for booking Thursday and has been released on $100 bond. An arraignment date has not been set.
Under Tennessee law, a driver’s license must be lost or destroyed before a duplicate can be issued. According to the affidavit of complaint, when Fullilove applied for a duplicate license she stated to the driver license examiner that “she had lost her license.” The affidavit goes on to say, “she did not explain that on March 21, 2008 her license had been seized by (a) DeSoto County Deputy…under the Mississippi Implied Consent Law.”
“The Tennessee Highway Patrol worked closely with us as it conducted its investigation. Based on the investigation, we believe these are the proper charges,” District Attorney Gibbons said.
“The most important thing is that Ms. Fullilove gets effective treatment for any underlying problems she may have. We are certainly going to take that into account in how we handle this case,” Gibbons added.
