NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — More than a year after Jillian’s Law went into effect in Tennessee, FOX 17 is tracking whether the state has enough hospital beds and staffing to treat violent suspects deemed incompetent to stand trial.
The 2024 legislation, named in Jillian Ludwig’s honor, requires defendants found mentally incompetent to be committed for treatment, instead of being released back into society, where they could pose a threat.
Suspect Shaquille Taylor is now charged with opening fire in a park and killing 18-year-old Ludwig in 2023. Just six months prior, a judge released Taylor from previous shooting charges after ruling that he functioned at a kindergarten level, incompetent to be tried. Taylor was set free, only to fire the gun that ended the aspiring musician’s life, according to police…