Criminal Defense Case Results in Nashville, TN

Charge

Domestic Assault (Offensive or Provocative Contact)

Location

Davidson County, Birch Bldg, Court Room 4C

Allegations

Police responded to a disturbance in a busy nightlife area and arrested our client for domestic assault based on an officer's claim of brief grabbing during an argument. There was no weapon and no reported injury, and the charge alleged only offensive or provocative contact. We obtained the reports, spoke with the subpoenaed complainant, and he told the DA he did not want to pursue the case. We highlighted the minimal contact and the state's reliance on a reluctant witness. After negotiations at a later setting, the prosecution dismissed the charge.

Charge

Resisting Arrest

Location

Davidson County, Birch Bldg, Court Room 4C

Allegations

Officers responded to a disturbance in a crowded entertainment area. As they moved to detain the client, confusion over why they were being arrested led to the client pulling away during handcuffing, which was charged as resisting arrest. We dug into the incident details, gathered the context surrounding the detention, and emphasized there was no attempt to flee or fight. We communicated this to the prosecution and were prepared to litigate the issue if needed. The state ultimately dismissed the resisting arrest charge.

Charge

Possession or Casual Exchange of Marijuana

Location

Sumner County, Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick

Allegations

During a traffic stop for a rolling stop, the officer claimed to smell marijuana. The client acknowledged a small joint and a THC vape and voluntarily handed them over. No scales, baggies, cash, or other sale indicators were found, and a lawfully possessed firearm led to no separate charge. We verified a clean record, scrutinized the basis for the stop and the voluntariness of the handover, and pressed the State on proof, including whether the items were lab tested and admissible. Emphasizing the minimal quantity and our readiness to litigate search issues, we secured a dismissal.

Charge

Domestic Assault - Offensive or Provocative Contact

Location

Davidson County, Birch Bldg, Court Room 4B

Allegations

Officers arrested our client after a domestic dispute where a small splash of water from a cup was treated as offensive or provocative contact. Police involvement began only after the other party flagged an officer about a phone, not a violence call. We secured video showing minimal contact and, shortly after, the other party striking our client, undermining the claim that he was the aggressor. We compared the footage with the report and confirmed the complainant did not want to pursue prosecution. After negotiations, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Possession or Casual Exchange of Marijuana

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

Our client was cited after a traffic incident where officers, noticing an unopened alcohol bottle, requested consent to search and found a THC vape cartridge in the center console. There were no scales, baggies, cash, or signs of sales. We investigated whether the cartridge was a lawful hemp product and raised serious questions about the client's knowledge and ownership. We also secured a reset to accommodate out-of-town work and engaged the prosecutor early. After reviewing our concerns, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Unlawful Use of Drug Paraphernalia

Location

Williamson County, Special Judge

Allegations

The client was stopped and arrested. After the client had been removed from the scene, officers searched the vehicle and reported finding items they labeled as drug paraphernalia in the trunk. We obtained the bodycam and police reports and focused on the justification for the warrantless trunk search, the lack of any recorded consent, and how the evidence was documented. We put the state on notice that we were prepared to litigate suppression. The prosecution dismissed the paraphernalia charge.

Charge

Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer (Contact)

Location

Sumner County, Kee Bryant-McCormick

Allegations

During a traffic stop involving a friend, our client approached officers to ask for a supervisor. The encounter escalated and an officer alleged the client pushed him as the officer moved to handcuff the client, leading to an assault on a law enforcement officer charge. We obtained the body cam, dash cam, and the client’s phone video and compared them with the reports. The footage did not show clear, intentional contact and exposed inconsistencies in the accounts. We made clear we were prepared to litigate those issues at a hearing, and the prosecutor dismissed the case.

Charge

Failure to Notify Law Enforcement of an Accident

Location

Williamson County, Special Judge

Allegations

Another driver reported a minor contact and claimed our client left without calling police. When stopped later, the client told officers he did not believe he had been in a crash, though a scuff on a fender was noted afterward. We pressed for the accident report, dispatch records, and bodycam, and focused the state on the timeline showing he pulled over immediately when signaled and never interacted with the other motorist on scene. With no proof he knowingly failed to report an accident, the prosecution dismissed the charge.

Charge

DUI - First Offense

Location

Davidson County, Court Room: Birch Bldg, Court Room 5C

Allegations

After a minor collision, the client was investigated for DUI. Bodycam captured the officer initially noting no odor of alcohol and few signs of impairment, even as bystanders pressed for an arrest. The client completed roadside exercises without obvious failures, and a blood sample was taken later. We obtained and reviewed the video and reports, emphasizing the inconsistent observations and lack of clear indicators. Leveraging those weaknesses, we negotiated the case down to a lesser charge with straight probation.

Charge

Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Class A Misdemeanor)

Location

Davidson County, Birch Bldg, Court Room 5C

Allegations

Police alleged our client left the scene after a single-vehicle crash. According to reports and video, the car was disabled and the client walked away from active lanes toward a safer area, no other vehicles or injuries were involved. We pulled the accident report and body and dash camera footage, then compared the officer's narrative to the timeline and location data. We pressed the state on whether they could prove a knowing failure to stop and report rather than a safety move. Faced with those issues, the prosecutor dismissed the case.

Charge

DUI - Second Offense

Location

Davidson County, Birch Bldg, Court Room 5C

Allegations

After a single vehicle crash near an on ramp, officers found the client walking away and arrested them for a second DUI. A hospital blood draw was taken. We secured the body cam and dash cam footage, the accident report, and the lab records, then focused on two weaknesses, whether any consent to the blood draw was valid given reported head injury and memory gaps, and whether the state could actually prove who was driving since the client was not found in the vehicle. Leveraging those issues, we negotiated a reduction to a lesser charge with straight probation.

Charge

Public Intoxication (Class C Misdemeanor)

Location

Wilson County

Allegations

Our client was arrested for public intoxication after an encounter with police in a public area. We obtained the report, evaluated the officer's account, and prepared to challenge whether the statutory elements were actually met. At our direction, the client completed an alcohol education class and we submitted the certificate ahead of court. We met the client at the hearing and engaged the prosecutor with that mitigation and our defenses. The state agreed to dismiss the case.