DUI
DUIs and Administrative License Suspensions
If you are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, the Tennessee Department of Safety (DOS) will normally seek to suspend your license. There are two basic reasons the DOS will seek to suspend your license through an administrative process. The first is due to being charged with a DUI. The second is –…
Read MoreReasons DUI Criminal Charges May Be Dismissed Before Trial
Driving under the influence (DUI) charges can be dismissed before the actual trial begins. Sometimes, the prosecution may dismiss the case on their own because of known defects in their case. Usually, DUI cases are dismissed because of persuasive criminal defense lawyer arguments and motions. Defendants should regularly plead not guilty to DUI charges because…
Read MoreNonstandard Field Sobriety Tests
Any driver who is stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated will likely be asked by the police officer to submit to field sobriety tests. If the driver fails the field tests, the officer will then usually ask the driver to submit to chemical breath or blood tests. There are three standardized tests that officers…
Read MoreTennessee’s Laws Regarding Breathalyzer and Blood Tests
The implied consent law for Tennessee was amended in 2017 in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Birchfield v. North Dakota. That case found that breathalyzer tests could be given incident to an arrest – without a warrant. The Supreme Court also agreed that the refusal to take a breath test could result in…
Read MoreDUI by Consent in Tennessee a Risk for Vehicle Owners
You don’t have to be driving under the influence to be arrested for your first, second, or third DUI in Tennessee. If you’ve let someone drive your vehicle who is knowingly intoxicated, state law provides for charging car owners with a DUI by consent (also called DUI by proxy). Most of the time, DUI by…
Read MoreDon’t Get a Day-After-DUI in Tennessee
When you’ve been drinking, you know it’s unsafe and not smart to get behind the wheel. Most people who imbibe know they should never drive after alcohol-related festivities. To be sure, many law abiding Tennesseans have done their best during a night of drinking: they have enlisted a designated driver, or decided to stay in…
Read MoreWhat Your Third DUI Means in Tennessee
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Tennessee can mean complicated legal battles, negotiation with authorities, and even some mandatory punishments. If you’ve had previous DUIs, you know there are associated fines, other penalties, and mandatory jail time (the length of which can depend on your blood alcohol content at the time of arrest). DUI offenses…
Read MoreBonnaroo: What to Bring and What You Should Leave at Home
As the opening day for Bonnaroo 2017 approaches, we wanted to share a bit of information about our local music festival, along with some tips that will help those who attend the festival make the most of their visit. First, let’s start with the basics. The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place June…
Read MoreAvoiding Arrest on Drug Charges at Bonnaroo and Protecting Your Rights
Each summer, a farm in Manchester gets transformed into Bonnaroo, a massive, four-day music and arts festival. People travel to middle Tennessee from all over the region to partake in the hedonistic celebration that seems to be a hotbed of criminal activity. Bonnaroo just announced the 2017 lineup, which does not look like it is…
Read MoreDebunking False Positive Readings with Tennessee Ignition Interlock Devices for DUI
Tennessee has required ignition interlock devices for those convicted of DUI with a BAC of 0.08 percent or greater since 2013, and then in July 2016 a new law went into effect that, “Revises the interlock law to make an ignition interlock device required unless the judge makes specific findings that the person seeking the…
Read MoreWhat is the Process for Getting a Restricted License after a DUI in Tennessee?
If you have been convicted of DUI in Tennessee, one of the penalties is that you can lose your driving privileges for one year. That means that you would be unable to drive your car to get back and forth to work, to school if you are a college student, to the doctor’s office and…
Read MoreTips for Avoiding a DUI at Bonnaroo
Before long the 2016 Bonnaroo season will be in full swing here in Tennessee. From June 9th through the 12th, Manchester, TN will bloom into a small city with thousands of visitors who will be our guests for the four day music festival-palooza. We are going to be honest and let you know that you…
Read MoreQuestioning the Legality of Drug Testing Kits at Music Festivals like Bonnaroo
For five days each summer, the Old McAllister 750 acre farm located outside of Manchester, Tennessee becomes the sixth largest city in Tennessee, jam-packed with nearly 100,000 people when Bonnaroo comes to town. The largest music festival in the United States, Bonnaroo takes over the sleepy little town of Manchester with its 10,000 residents located…
Read MoreDo I Have to Take a Field Sobriety Test When I Get Pulled Over in Tennessee?
That queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach that comes when you have seen the blue lights flashing in your rear-view mirror and you realize that you are being pulled over by a police officer. It is really late at night and you are on your way home from a party. You have consumed…
Read MoreChanges to Tennessee’s Vehicular Homicide Sentencing in 2015
Tennessee changed its sentencing law on vehicular homicide back in 2015. Vehicular homicide is the “reckless killing of another by the operation of an automobile, airplane, motorboat or other motor vehicle, as the proximate result of: Conduct creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to a person; The driver’s intoxication, which includes…
Read MoreA Whipped Cream High Can Get You a DUI in Tennessee
According to Franklin police, Anna Thomas, age 28 was charged with DUI after crashing her SUV into a mailbox on Battle Avenue. Ms. Thomas had allegedly inhaled the nitrous oxide from 13 cans of whipped cream to get high and then got behind the wheel at 9:00am on Wednesday, June 3rd. Ms. Thomas had allegedly…
Read MoreWhat are the Penalties for Underage DWI in Tennessee?
When an individual who is under the age of 21 is pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving he/she may be charged with Underage Driving While Impaired (Underage DWI). Since it is illegal for anyone who is under age 21 to purchase or drink alcohol, driving drunk is against the law for minors. A minor…
Read MorePunishments for Repeat DUI Offenders in Tennessee
Getting caught driving drunk is a serious offense, which you already know because you have been through this already if this is your second offense. According to NHTSA studies, a person with a prior DUI conviction has 4.1 times the risk of being involved in a fatal vehicle accident. Another study reported that the chances…
Read MoreArrested at Bonnaroo? Here’s what to Do Next
It’s no secret that a few of the more than 90,000 fans that attend Bonnaroo, the legendary music and arts festival in Manchester, TN each year will use drugs or get drunk while having fun at the show. The four-day festival attracts performers that are well known along with more up-and-coming acts who perform in…
Read MoreGet Your Tickets TO Bonnaroo, Not AT Bonnaroo
The lineup for Bonnaroo 2015 is going to be announced soon, and people from all over the country will be planning their visit to the 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee to enjoy the festival. Four day long concerts like Bonnaroo feature more than just music, because they celebrate the arts in general. If this…
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