Bonnaroo
Avoid Being Arrested at Tennessee’s Festivals
Looking out for you at Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo music festival offers its attendees some incredible opportunities to experience live music, new cinema and local fare. It affords us all a chance to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves with old and new friends alike. Unfortunately, local law enforcement doesn’t see Bonnaroo, or other concerts and music festivals, as anything other than the opportunity to make more arrests.
At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, we understand how the local law enforcement agencies operate during festival season, and we know how the local prosecutors and judiciaries respond to festival-related arrests. Our experienced and dedicated team provides clear and comprehensive counsel for clients facing criminal charges. We’re available to our clients 24 hours a day, so you always have someone to help you – whether it’s at 3:00pm in the afternoon or in the middle of the night. If you’ve been taken to the local jail, we’ll come to see you right then and there. If you’re from out of town, we will help make arrangements with your family back home. When you hire us, you’re guaranteeing that you’re never, ever alone.
What you can do to avoid getting arrested
The easiest way to avoid an arrest at Bonnaroo is to obey the laws – but if you’re not local to Tennessee, you may not know you’re breaking one. Here are some simple tips for avoiding arrest at Bonnaroo:
- Drive safely. Wear a seatbelt, keep your registration and insurance up to date, and remove any objects hanging from your rearview mirror. Handheld cell phone use is illegal in Tennessee, so put your cell phone away. Make sure that all of your lights are in working order, and that your turn signals work too.
- Stay sober. Whether you have one shot or you drink all night, you can be pulled over for DUI. The legal limit in Tennessee is .08 BAC (blood alcohol content), but you can be arrested with far less liquor in your system. You can also be charged with disorderly conduct if the police believe you’re out of control.
- Stay away from drugs. Festivals are usually associated with marijuana use, but more than .5 ounces means a Class B felony charge in Tennessee. Avoid using any illegal drugs at all. If you’re on a prescribed medication, make sure to have a copy of the scrip as well as your doctor’s information on you at all times, just in case.
- Avoid intercourse. Sexual assault is a serious problem in Tennessee, and the penalties associated with a conviction are severe. Your best bet is to simply abstain from any sexual activities for the duration of the festival and avoid putting yourself in a bad situation.
- Know your rights. If you are given a citation, know that you are within your legal rights to leave the area after the ticket is issued. You also have the right to refuse to be searched. Police will attempt to use a traffic stop as probable cause for additional searching: you do not have to let them.
Police are supposed to protect you, but at Bonnaroo they will be on the offensive. We have successfully assisted clients who have been subjected to illegal searches and trumped-up charges by the police. We are formidable adversaries in the courtroom, but we also know when negotiation is the best choice. Our goal is always the complete dropping of all charges; when your charges cannot be dropped, we put our superior negotiation skills to work on your behalf to have your charges and penalties reduced.
Stay safe at music and art festivals in Tennessee
We want you to enjoy your concert and festival experiences. At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, we protect the rights of Bonnaroo attendees who have been charged with a crime. There is always an attorney to answer the phone around the clock, so you don’t have to wait to get the answers you need. Please call us today at 615-977-9370 or fill out our contact form.
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