DUI Attorney in Nashville TN, Drunk Driving Lawyer

drunk driving attorney Nashville TN

A DUI conviction will

1) Stay on your record forever

2) Require mandatory jail time

3) Make you lose your license

 

Driving Under the Influence is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a year in jail. A conviction will require mandatory jail time, probation, and the loss of your license plus more punishments depending on your charges and history. If you are facing DUI charges, you’ll need a DUI attorney in Nashville that can help.

  • A DUI 1st conviction carries a mandatory 48 hours in jail, a $350 fine, 11 months and 29 days of probation, the loss of your license for 1 year, and alcohol education classes.

  • A DUI 2nd conviction carries a mandatory 45 days in jail, a $600 fine, 11 months and 29 days of probation, the loss of your license for 2 years, and alcohol education classes.

  • A DUI 3rd conviction carries a mandatory 120 days in jail, a $1,100 fine, 11 months and 29 days of probation, the loss of your license for 6 years, and alcohol education classes.

  • A DUI 4th or more qualifies as a felony offense. 

 

For the State of Tennessee to prove you were driving under the influence, it must show to the court that you were legally impaired to the extent that you could not safely operate a motor vehicle. Legal impairment can result from drinking alcohol, using illegal drugs, using prescription drugs, or any substance that can affect your central nervous system. 

The law allows police to use field sobriety tests, breath tests, blood tests, and testimony to prove that you were legally intoxicated. This type of evidence can be scientific and uniquely intricate to your case. A DUI and DWI lawyer defending these charges requires knowledge of the law and knowledge of how these tests are properly conducted. Your drunk driving defense lawyer should know how to challenge the stop, the investigation, the tests, and the testimony before it can be used against you.

Tennessee’s Implied Consent law provides that, if you are suspected of and arrested for driving under the influence, you must comply with a breath or blood test. Failure to do so can result in the loss of your driver’s license.

Depending on the severity and situation, many other charges can accompany a DUI charge, including:

  • Vehicular homicide

  • Vehicular assault

  • Aggravated assault

  • Reckless endangerment

  • Evading arrest in a motor vehicle

  • Violation of the implied consent law

  • Underage driving while impaired

  • Violation of the habitual offender act

 

If you are convicted of a DUI and lose your license, you may qualify for a restricted license. A restricted license would allow you to operate your vehicle once you provide the Department of Safety proof of SR-22 Insurance and that you have had an Ignition Interlock Device professionally installed in your vehicle.

DUI charges can also be accompanied by reckless driving, reckless endangerment, vehicular assault, vehicular homicide or other criminal offenses depending on the alleged incident.

Jay Moreland is a drunk driving defense attorney that can help you if you have been charged with a DUI.