First Offense DUI in Memphis, Tennessee
February 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Memphis DUI attorneys understand that if you are charged with DUI for the first time, you are probably concerned and worried about your future. Our Memphis DUI lawyers realize that Driving Under the Influence is typically not a crime involving malice. Many individuals charged with DUI are not familiar with the criminal justice system. The DUI laws and regulations are confusing and seem to change frequently.U
nder Tennessee law, any person convicted for a first offense DUI shall be fined between $350 and $1,500. The court will prohibit a convicted person from driving a vehicle in the state of Tennessee for a period of one year. Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-403 (2007). A first offense DUI violation is a Class A misdemeanor. The jail time depends upon the circumstances surrounding the conviction.
If you are less than twenty-one years of age at the time of the offense, the court shall sentence you to confinement in the county jail or workhouse for a minimum of forty-eight hours to a maximum of eleven months and twenty-nine days incarceration. As a condition of probation, you must remove litter during daylight hours from state route highways or state-aid highways, for a period of twenty-four hours. The period of litter removal shall be served in three shifts of eight consecutive hours each.
If you are twenty-one years of age or older at the time of the offense, the court shall sentence you to confinement in the county jail or workhouse for not less than twenty-four hours nor more than eleven months and twenty-nine days. As a condition of probation, you must remove litter during daylight hours from state route highways or state-aid highways for a period of twenty-four hours. The period of litter removal shall be served in three shifts of eight consecutive hours each.
• If at the time of the offense the alcohol concentration in your blood or breath is twenty hundredths of one percent (.20%) or greater, the minimum period of confinement for you must be seven consecutive calendar days rather than forty-eight hours.
• If at the time of the offense, you were accompanied by a child under eighteen years of age, you must be punished by a mandatory minimum incarceration of thirty days and a mandatory minimum fine of one thousand dollars $1,000.
• If at the time of the offense, you were accompanied by a child under eighteen years of age, and the child suffers serious bodily injury as a result of the DUI, the violation is a Class D felony.
• If at the time of the offense, you were accompanied by a child under eighteen years of age, and the child is killed as a result of the DUI, the violation is a Class C felony.
Contact a Memphis DUI lawyer to talk about the facts and circumstances surrounding your case. A Memphis DUI attorney can discuss different legal avenues applicable to you. Our Memphis attorneys handle DUI cases in Germantown, Cordova, Collierville, Bartlett and all of Shelby County.
Contact a Memphis DUI Lawyer!
February 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Memphis DUI lawyers realize that a DUI charge can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know a lot about Tennessee DUI law. Memphis, Tennessee DUI lawyers can help you understand Tennessee law, and explain your rights and options. If you have questions about the automatic license suspension or the impact a DUI conviction might have on your insurance costs, you may want to talk with a Memphis DUI lawyer.
You should not wait until your initial court appearance to start asking questions about your particular case. Contact a Memphis DUI lawyer before you appear in court so that your Memphis DUI attorney can gather important information he or she needs to make informed decisions about your case. A Memphis DUI lawyer can assess your case from your point of view, and advise you on Tennessee DUI law as it applies to your situation.
If you have questions about the sentence you face including whether the mandatory jail time provisions apply to you, contact a Tennessee DUI lawyer. You may think that there’s no way to successfully challenge a DUI charge, but Memphis DUI lawyers know that many cases have weaknesses. These weaknesses often open doors to dismissals or acquittals. Any crack in the state’s case could create an opportunity for a Tennessee DUI lawyer to negotiate for reduced charges or a favorable plea bargain.
Take advantage of the opportunity to learn about your rights under Tennessee law before you take a step in any direction. Contact a Tennessee DUI attorney if you have been charged with DUI in Memphis, Tennessee. Our DUI attorneys handle DUI cases in Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova and all of Shelby County.
