Bonnaroo is Almost Here, and Coffee County is Cracking Down on Citations

The 15^th Annual Bonnaroo music festival is a mere days away. Last year’s festival saw more than 80,000 attendees on the 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, and we can expect at least that many this year, as Bonnaroo continues to expand. You might see a few changes this year, too – like permanent bathrooms, a ride-sharing network… and a new procedure for attendees who are arrested during Bonnaroo.

It used to be that if you were given a citation, you could pay a fine (albeit an inflated one) and avoid going to court. That is no longer the case. As reported by The Tennessean, “Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott said he will not continue his predecessor’s policy of allowing festival goers to pay inflated fines and avoid appearing in court on minor citations…. Instead, he said, people who receive citations at Bonnaroo will be expected to make court appearances, hire attorneys and ‘deal with the consequences of illegal activities.’”

This is especially worrisome for festival attendees who live in a different part of the state, or who are visiting Tennessee from another part of the country altogether. Retaining local counsel will be crucial for anyone facing charges stemming from Bonnaroo, as a criminal conviction – or a failure to show up in court – could have long-term repercussions on your life.

Common Bonnaroo citations and charges

At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, we routinely represent Bonnaroo attendees who have been charged with a crime or cited in some way by local law enforcement. The most common charges we see include:

• Simple drug possession
• Possession of paraphernalia
• Possession with intent to sell
• Driving under the influence
• Underage drinking
• Drunk and disorderly

We want you to have a good time at Bonnaroo this year, but we also want you to be safe. Take a cab if you’ve been drinking, avoid drugs at all costs, and don’t buy anyone a drink unless you know for sure he or she is at least 21 years of age. If you are addressed by a police officer, remain calm and polite, and call us if you are given a ticket of any kind.

If you are accused of drinking and driving, of possessing or attempting to sell drugs, or of disorderly conduct, you need to speak with an attorney from our firm right away. Drug charges are serious, and may land you in jail or prison if you are convicted. We work with you even if you live out of state, and can make sure your rights are upheld if you do, indeed, need to go to court. Please call the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates at 615-977-9370 or fill out our contact form to make an appointment with a Bonnaroo criminal defense attorney in Franklin, Columbia or Brentwood.