DUI & DWI in Tennessee
If you are convicted of drunk driving in Tennessee, you will have to pick up trash along the highway for 3 eight-hour shifts – while wearing a blaze orange vest with the words “I AM A DRUNK DRIVER”.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for DUI in Tennessee, you need legal help – and you need it fast. The Tennessee DUI attorney of your choice will help you to build the strongest defense possible.
This article will help you to understand what you’re facing:
- Tennessee DUI Laws
- Tennessee DUI Punishments
- Potential DUI Defenses
- Tennessee’s Other Drunk Driving and Alcohol Laws
- How to Find a Tennessee DUI Attorney
When is a Driver Considered to be Legally Drunk in Tennessee?
Tennessee Code Annotated contains Tennessee’s drunk driving laws.
You are legally too drunk to drive in the state of Tennessee if you’re a:
- Driver and your BAC is .08 or higher.
- Commercial driver and your BAC is .04 or higher.
- Under21 driver and your BAC is .02 or higher.
What is Tennessee’s Punishment for DUI Convictions?
These are the “normal” DWI penalties:
- 1st offense – between 24 hours to 11 months and 29 days of jail or workhouse-24 hours of litter pick up while wearing an orange “I AM A DRUNK DRIVER” vest – fines of $350 to $1,500 – driver’s license suspension for 1 year.
- 2nd offense within 10 years – jail or workhouse time of 45 days to 11 months 29 days- fines of $600 to $3,500 – driver’s license revocation for 2 years – ignition interlock – alcohol treatment program.
- 3rd offense within 10 years – jail or workhouse time of 120 days to 11 months 29 days- fines of $1,100 to $10,000- driver’s license revoked for 10 years – ignition interlock.
In addition, enhanced penalties apply to commercial drivers, drivers with a BAC of .20 or more, and drunk drivers with a child, under the age of 18, in the car.
Tennessee Drunk Driving Defenses
Consult with the Tennessee DUI lawyer of your choice – www.attorneys.org.Perhaps one of these defenses applies to your case.
- Important evidence that should have been admitted in court wasn’t admitted.
- Statements you made without Miranda warnings were admitted into evidence at trial.
- The trial judge gave the wrong jury instructions.
- The roadblock, during which you were arrested, was not proper.
- There was no probable cause to stop and test your BAC.
- There were mistakes made in BAC testing.
Tennessee’s Other Drunk Driving and Alcohol Laws
Dram Shop Statute
A licensed drinking establishment may be held liable for injuries caused by the serving of a minor or a visibly intoxicated person.
Tennessee’s Providing Alcohol to Underage Persons Law
It is a crime to furnish alcohol to an individual under the age of 21. Penalties include jail up to 11 months and 29 days in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, and 100 hours of community service.
How to Find a Tennessee DUI Attorney
To find a Tennessee DUI attorney, you can search our website, www.attorneys.org, or ask friends or the bar association for a referral. In some cases (but not all) charges are dismissed; in others,the minimum penalties are handed down. We suggest you get legal help immediately.
