Nashville Criminal Attorney Blog

No. You can stop answering questions at any moment — including in the middle of a sentence. Nothing about answering the first ten questions obligates you to answer the eleventh. Talking is not a door that locks behind you. Say Out Loud That You Are Done Do not hint, trail off, or go quiet and…

Most people facing a criminal trial in Tennessee have never seen one, except on television. Beliefs that sound right but are not fill that gap. Some make people more afraid of trial than they need to be, and others make them less careful than they should be. Here are five of the most common, with…

Not freely. In Tennessee, a pending felony case can restrict your guns long before any conviction. If you assume that "not convicted yet" means "no restriction yet," you can end up committing a new crime or losing your bond. What happens to my carry permit? If you are charged with burglary, a felony drug offense,…

Field sobriety tests are among the most misunderstood parts of a Tennessee DUI stop. What people believe these roadside exercises prove, and what Tennessee law actually does with them, are often two very different things. Here are five common beliefs about field sobriety tests in Tennessee, and what the law really says. Myth 1: You…

1. Your Arrest and Your First Court Date A Tennessee felony case that begins with an arrest begins in General Sessions Court, which is not the court where a felony is tried. After the arrest you are taken before a General Sessions judge without unnecessary delay. The judge tells you the charge, that you have…

No. A card under your door is an invitation, not an order. A detective can ask you to call. You are not required to. A number written on a card carries no more force than a number written on a napkin. Understand What the Card Actually Means Someone wants a statement from you — and…

Small drug cases in Tennessee often start with a pipe in a car console, a pill box in a purse or a joint passed around at a party. What people believe about those moments is often wrong, and it can be wrong in either direction. Some of these myths make people too relaxed. Others make…

Not necessarily. Many Tennessee misdemeanor convictions can be expunged, but only by petition, only if you meet strict conditions, and only after a waiting period that is different from the one for a dismissed charge. For some convictions, though, the answer really is yes. Unless your case went through diversion and you completed it successfully,…

A breath or blood test can feel like the whole case — a number that seems to decide everything before you have even called a lawyer. It is not, and much of what people believe about these tests in Tennessee is wrong. Here are seven common myths, and what the law actually says. Myth 1:…

A Tennessee misdemeanor case travels a road most people have never been told about, and little of it looks the way television says it does. 1. The Charging Paper and the Date on It A misdemeanor case begins with a document — a warrant, a citation, a charging paper — and that document names a…