Nashville Criminal Attorney Blog

If you are reading this at three in the morning because somebody was arrested tonight, you are allowed to not know what happens next. Almost nobody does. The hours between the handcuffs and the front door are the part of a Tennessee case nobody writes about, and the part families spend the night guessing at.…

Because the number is only one of two separate ways to be guilty of DUI in Tennessee, and the State can lose the one and still have the other. If the number doesn't decide it, what does? Impairment. The State can prove either that your alcohol level was at or above the legal limit, or…

Introduction You’re riding in a friend’s car when the flashing blue lights appear behind you. The driver gets pulled over for speeding or an expired tag. During the stop, the officer claims they smell marijuana or suspect there is contraband inside the vehicle. The officer orders everyone out of the car. As you step out…

Introduction You’re sitting inside your home with the blinds drawn, the curtains closed, and the deadbolts locked. You have taken every reasonable step to ensure complete, private seclusion inside your four walls. Up above your neighborhood, an unmarked police drone hovers quietly in the dark. Down the street, an officer in an unmarked cruiser points…

Introduction You’re walking down a sidewalk, waiting at a bus stop, or taking an evening jog through your neighborhood. A police cruiser pulls up next to you, an officer steps out, and says: “Hey you, stop right there. Let me see your ID.” You haven’t committed a traffic violation, you aren’t driving a motor vehicle,…

Introduction You’re sitting at a complete stop at a red light on West End or Broadway in Nashville. You feel your phone buzz in the cup holder. You glance down, pick it up, and swipe to check a text message or change the navigation route while waiting for the light to turn green. Out of…

Introduction You walk out to your driveway in the morning, grab your keys, and head off to work. You go about your normal daily routine—running errands, visiting friends, attending medical appointments, and driving home. What you don’t know is that days ago, a narcotics detective walked onto your driveway under the cover of darkness, crawled…

Introduction It’s midnight on a Friday. You get pulled over for a burned-out license plate light. The officer walks up, asks for your paperwork, and leans in close to your window. After a brief pause, the officer says: “I smell an odor of alcohol. Step out of the car. We’re going to do a few…

Introduction You check into a hotel, motel, or vacation rental in Nashville, unpack your bags, and close the door behind you. You expect the same level of personal privacy in that rented room as you would inside your own home. Late that evening, hotel management knocks on your door claiming there was a noise complaint,…

Introduction You’re walking down a public sidewalk in Nashville or Memphis on a sunny afternoon. You have your hands in your jacket pockets, listening to music. Suddenly, a patrol cruiser pulls up to the curb. An officer steps out, blocks your path, and commands: “Hold up right there. Take your hands out of your pockets,…