Criminal Defense Law

You are driving along I-65 late on a Friday evening. You might have had a beer or two while you watched the game, but you are by no means drunk, or so you believe. The next thing you know, you see those flashing blue lights and hear the chirp of a police cruiser pulling you…

Domestic violence is a serious issue in Tennessee with significant consequences. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 43 Tennesseans were murdered by intimate partners in 2014. Firearms were involved in 75 percent of these homicides. Tennessee law enforcement received 74,023 reports of domestic violence crimes, but many also went unreported. There were…

Tennessee has a lot of colleges, trade schools and universities. That means we have a lot of college “kids” running around the state at any given time of the year. Now, we say “kids” because most of these students are at least 18 years of age, which makes them adults in the eyes of the…

The 15th 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…

Most people understand that the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects us from having to submit to unreasonable search and seizure, but there is considerable confusion about the details. A police officer can stop you and ask you questions, but he or she is not permitted to search you unless they have probable cause…

Rep. William Lamberth has introduced controversial legislation that would toughen drunk driving laws while simultaneously reducing the penalties for repeated drug possession. As introduced, HB 1478 would punish a sixth offense DUI as a Class C felony, punishable by three to 15 years in prison. It would define “prior convictions” for the purpose of enhancing…

Under the current civil forfeiture laws in Tennessee, police and prosecutors can seize and sell your car or other property and use the proceeds without having charged you with a crime. The Institute for Justice calls Tennessee’s forfeiture and seizure laws “policing for profit” in the second edition of a report about the abuse of…

If you have been arrested and charged with a crime, and you observed some form of misconduct on the part of the arresting officer – whether it was the use of excessive force, a violation of your civil rights, or you suspect that they might have planted or tampered with evidence – you may wonder…

Kathy L. Alexander was arraigned this month for reportedly stealing more than $60,000 from the Tennessee State Museum in 2014. According to The Tennessean, Ms. Alexander has a history of theft, and was actually on parole while she was working for the museum through a staffing company. Because she has been declared indigent, Ms. Alexander…

A man was attacked and robbed recently outside of the Donelson-Hermitage YMCA after setting up a meeting with Ronald Payne, 22, and Tyler Austin, 18. The victim got to a phone after the duo punched him in the face and took his cell phone, keys, and wallet, and reported the incident to police. Officers responded…