Criminal Defense Case Results in Tennessee

Charge

DUI - First Offense

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

Police approached our client while parked in a private lot for a welfare check, then claimed an odor of alcohol and turned it into a DUI investigation. The officer pressed for a vehicle search even though consent was unclear. The client declined field sobriety tests and a breath test, and a blood draw was obtained hours later by warrant. We obtained the videos, reports, and toxicology, and challenged the escalation, the search basis, and the delay before the draw. Faced with those issues, the prosecution reduced the charge and accepted straight probation.

Charge

Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Class A Misdemeanor)

Location

Williamson County, Special Judge

Allegations

In a parking lot, the client thought they might have grazed a parked car, checked, saw no new damage, went inside, and later left. When police reached out, the client immediately cooperated, provided insurance details, filed a report, and was booked then released. We obtained the state's file and checked insurance records, finding no claim and minimal proof of damage. We pressed the prosecutor on evidentiary gaps and witness availability, and prepared to litigate. At the next setting, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Assault - Misdemeanor

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Chancellor Howard Wilson

Allegations

At a loading dock, a man yanked open our client’s truck door, shouted threats, and was struck when the client reflexively pushed the door. Police responded but did not arrest, and the charge was filed later by the complainant. We stepped in close to trial, secured a continuance, reviewed reports and photos showing a linear injury consistent with a door strike, visited the site, and used an investigator to track down former employees. We pressed these issues with the prosecution. Weighing trial risks, the client accepted probation with monthly check-ins.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

Police arrested our client for DUI after a two-car collision, administering roadside tests and later securing a warrant for a hospital blood draw. From day one we documented the client's account that wet roads, a damaged tire, and fatigue played a major role in the crash. We demanded the body camera footage, the warrant and medical records, and full lab data. We challenged the reliability of the field testing and insisted on strict proof of the blood's handling and analysis. Facing those evidentiary issues and without definitive lab results, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Possession or Distribution of Alcohol by a Person Under 21

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

The case stemmed from a traffic stop where officers questioned our client about alcohol in the vehicle. He acknowledged purchasing it earlier, the officers poured it out and released him. The next day a separate charge was filed alleging possession or distribution of alcohol by a person under 21. We moved quickly, obtained the police report, and focused on the lack of preserved evidence and any proof he furnished alcohol to anyone. After pressing these issues with the prosecutor and preparing to litigate them, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

A traffic unit stopped our client after alleging the vehicle failed to maintain a single lane. The citation was filed as Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic alongside a related investigation. We examined the report language and the officer's description of any lane drift against what the statute actually requires. We pressed the state on whether the brief deviation described created a safety risk and whether the stop observations were consistent. With those weaknesses on the table and our readiness to litigate, the prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge.

Charge

DUI - First Offense

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

Stopped after driving on a blown tire from a minor collision, our client was arrested for DUI. They admitted to drinking, completed field sobriety tests, and consented to a blood draw, with no other substances reported. We secured the body and dash camera footage and the lab records, and handled bond compliance by arranging alcohol monitoring while the vehicle was in the shop. Armed with the evidence and mitigation showing immediate sobriety efforts and full compliance, we pressed the prosecution in negotiations. The state reduced the charge and the client received straight probation.

Charge

Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance

Location

Sumner County, Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick

Allegations

The client was cited during a traffic contact after being unable to pull up her digital insurance card. She maintained she was insured, so we obtained the carrier’s declarations page and written confirmation that the policy was active on the date of the stop. We organized and submitted this verified proof of financial responsibility to the prosecution. Once the state reviewed the documentation and confirmed coverage, it recognized it could not prove the offense. The case was dismissed.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

After a late-night traffic stop for alleged lane maintenance, campus police arrested our client for DUI following roadside tests and a later blood draw. We zeroed in on how the field tests were instructed and performed and questioned the basis for the stop. We also scrutinized whether consent for the draw was valid and the effect of the delay between driving and testing. With those evidentiary issues on the table and no prior record, we pressed negotiations. The state agreed to reduce the charge and the client received straight probation.

Charge

DUI - First Offense

Location

Sumner County, Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick

Allegations

After a minor collision, the client parked near a store and later encountered officers who noted sluggish behavior and directed field sobriety tests. She cooperated throughout and a blood sample was taken at the jail, with alcohol returning at zero while the lab pursued a full toxicology screen. We pressed for body cam footage and challenged the timeline, emphasizing indications that any substance use occurred after driving. We also documented her completion of inpatient treatment. Following persistent negotiations, the case was resolved with probation.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

After a traffic stop for alleged lane drift, the client declined roadside sobriety tests and was taken to a station where a blood draw was performed. We immediately demanded the lab report and all dash and body camera footage to scrutinize the basis for the stop and whether proper consent warnings were given. The blood result came back elevated, but the documented measurement uncertainty put it near an enhancement threshold. We leveraged the consent advisement issue and testing margins in negotiations. The DUI was reduced to a lesser charge with straight probation.

Charge

Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic

Location

Sumner County, Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick

Allegations

The client was cited for Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic after an incident where damage to a wall and the vehicle was noted. Officers made contact only after the car was parked, not while it was in motion. We scrutinized the incident report and available video evidence, emphasizing that no officer actually observed a marked-lanes violation and the narrative depended on after-the-fact assumptions. We challenged the sufficiency of the proof on each element and signaled readiness to litigate. The prosecution dismissed the citation.