Nobody plans on getting a DUI. After more than 16 years defending DUI cases in…
Nobody plans on getting a DUI.
After more than 16 years defending DUI cases in Tennessee, I've seen people come into contact with police in ways they never expected. And suddenly, they find themselves facing a DUI investigation.
Here are three scenarios that surprise people.
You don't necessarily have to be driving down the road to be charged with DUI in Tennessee.
Tennessee DUI law prohibits driving or being in physical control of a vehicle in certain public places while under the influence. For most adult drivers, that means a BAC of .08% or higher.
So someone who makes what feels like the responsible decision? "I'm not driving. I'll sleep it off in my car." They can still find themselves being investigated and arrested for DUI depending on the circumstances.
Nobody plans on having a car accident.
Maybe you're driving home after dinner or a night out when another car hits you. Or you accidentally hit something.
Police arrive to investigate the crash. During that investigation, an officer smells alcohol or notices something they believe indicates impairment.
What started as a routine accident investigation can quickly become a DUI investigation.
Suddenly you're being asked where you've been, what you've had to drink, whether you'll perform field sobriety tests, and potentially whether you'll submit to blood or breath testing.
This is one people rarely think about.
A couple has been drinking. They get into an argument or fight. One person decides to leave and drives away.
The other person calls the police.
Officers respond to investigate a possible domestic assault. The person who left may then be located or stopped by police.
Now what started as an argument between two people can potentially become two separate criminal investigations: domestic assault and DUI.
If officers believe the person who drove is impaired, that unexpected police encounter can lead to a DUI investigation and arrest.
Nobody plans on getting a DUI.
Most people don't wake up thinking they're going to be arrested that night. Sometimes it's sleeping in a parked car. Sometimes it's an unexpected accident. Sometimes it's leaving an argument and getting stopped by police.
And being arrested doesn't mean you're guilty. An arrest is not a conviction.
At Nash Law, we fight for three things:
If you're facing a DUI charge in Nashville or Middle Tennessee, you don't have to go through this alone. We've spent more than 16 years defending people in exactly this situation.
Schedule a free DUI Strategy Session. We'll listen to what happened, come up with a plan, and fight for your future.
Here's a graphic I made that summarizes the three DUI pitfalls:
