Bruce Levy will get no jail time for marijuana-toting charge

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), MAIN NEWS
BYLINE: By, Chris Echegaray

Davidson County,TN

Former Davidson County and state medical examiner Bruce Levy worked out a deal Thursday on Mississippi charges of possessing more than 30 grams of marijuana.

Levy, 50, was placed on pretrial diversion, with the possibility that the charges will be dismissed and the record expunged if he stays out of trouble for three years, said his Nashville attorney, David Raybin. He'll be given random drug tests and must comply with standard court probation rules.

Levy, who contracted to do autopsies in Mississippi, was arrested in March after a drug dog detected marijuana in a package bound for his Ridgeland, Miss., hotel by courier service. A search of the hotel room turned up more marijuana.

After his arrest, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into whether Levy had taken marijuana from the state evidence room or from bodies brought in for autopsies. The results were turned over to the Davidson County district attorney, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said.

The D.A.'s office also researched whether Levy's Mississippi arrest compromised any criminal cases he testified in here.

Spokeswoman Susan Niland said no cases have been found to be affected.

Levy remains licensed

The TBI report is under review by the district attorney's office, Niland said.

Levy had been Davidson County and Tennessee's chief medical examiner since 1998, president and CEO of Forensic Medical in Nashville and owned Global Forensics in Mississippi.

Levy still holds his medical license in Tennessee. The board that handles disciplinary action against doctors has not issued a notice of charges, state Health Department spokeswoman Andrea Turner said.

The Health Department can't comment on whether there is an investigation pending if no disciplinary notice has been issued.

Asked if Levy will try to contract again as a medical examiner in Tennessee, Raybin declined to comment.

Levy had been free on $25,000 bond and could have faced 20 years in prison if convicted.

Pretrial diversions are common with first-time offenders, said Jon Kalahar, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Contact Chris Echegaray at 615-664-2144 or

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