Legal Question in Criminal Law in Tennessee

The statute of limitations starts to run when the crime is committed, and stops when prosecution commences (when a warrant is sworn, a citation is issued, an indictment is returned).

So the general answer is no. Wait too long to commence prosecution -- twelve months in the case of almost all misdemeanors -- and prosecution is barred.

BUT, there are exceptions that stop the running of the clock, a process known as "tolling" the statute of limitations. These can include leaving the state, or willfully concealing the commission of the crime (such as hiding the video tape).