Tennessee DUI Defense Lawyers
Drunk Driving Defense in Knoxville, Sevierville, and East Tennessee
A DUI charge can have a profound effect on your life. Most DUI (driving under the influence) cases are first offenses. Our DUI defense lawyers in our Knoxville and Sevierville offices understand the dramatic and unexpected turn your life can take when charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI). Serving Knoxville and Sevierville, Tennessee, the attorneys at the offices of DUI lawyer Joseph A. Baker treat each client with respect and compassion while providing comprehensive representation to resolve your case favorably and in a quick and efficient manner.
The complexities of DUI cases are vast and the consequences serious. Individuals may be arrested, have their license suspended, have their vehicles impounded, and even go to jail. A successful resolution of their case relies on having a highly skilled attorney with the ability to construct an effective DUI defense. A lawyer in our Knoxville or Sevierville, Tennessee offices will first assess your case at a complimentary consultation and then give you a realistic assessment of the merits of your case. If our Knoxville or Sevierville, Tennessee office accepts your case and assigns you to an East Tennessee DUI lawyer, you can rest assured that you will have the best legal representation possible.
By investigating issues such as the validity of field sobriety tests and witness credibility, Baker Associates matches Tennessee’s investigative power with our Knoxville DUI lawyer’s own, often finding flaws and weaknesses in the government’s case.
DUI Convictions
In recent years punishment for DUI has become harsher. It is essential to retain an attorney who will defend and protect your rights with vigor and determination. Below are the likely sentences for a DUI conviction.
First Offense
A first DUI offense can result in a possible sentence of 11 months and 29 days to a minimum sentence of 24 hours in jail for those over 21-years-of-age, 48 hour in jail for those between 18 and 21-years-old, or a minimum of 7 days in jail if the accused was tested to have a blood alcohol level of .20 percent or higher. Also included in a first DUI conviction in Tennessee is 24 hours of mandatory litter pick-up, probation, license suspension, DUI school, and a minimum $350 dollar fine. Our DUI defense lawyers near Knoxville, Tennessee will fight to see that your rights are protected.
Second Offense
A second Tennessee DUI offense is also followed by a possible sentence of 11 months and 29 days to a minimum of 45 days in jail, probation, alcohol and drug assessment, DUI school, license suspension, and a minimum of $600 in fines. An in-patient rehabilitation program of up to 28 days of any sentenced jail time may also be ordered. The Tennessee DUI lawyer you choose is one of the most important decisions you can make in protecting your quality of life when accused of a DUI.
Third Offense
On a third Tennessee DUI offense the possibility of 11 months and 29 days in jail still applies. However, on a third conviction a minimum of 120 days in jail and a minimum fine of $1,100 is applied. Alcohol and drug assessment, probation, DUI school, and a 3 year license suspension are also required. If you are in need of a DUI lawyer in Knoxville or elsewhere in Tennessee, the law offices of Baker Associates will fight for your rights with conviction.
Know Your Rights – DUI Defense Tips
Knowledge is a valuable tool when defending your rights. If you are charged with a DUI, your rights include, but are not limited to:
- You have the right to not offer evidence against yourself
- You can refuse to take a field sobriety test
- You can refuse to take any chemical tests to determine the drug or alcohol content of your blood. If you refuse the chemical test you could lose your license for violating the implied consent law.
- You can be charged with DUI by Consent for allowing an “impaired” driver to drive your vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Joseph A. Baker and the Sevierville, Tennessee criminal defense attorneys at Baker Associates are experienced Tennessee DUI lawyers near Knoxville who have represented DUI clients under almost every imaginable set of circumstances. If you are in need of an experienced Tennessee DUI lawyer, the lawyers at Baker Associates can help. We are experienced and highly qualified in drafting effective trial and pre-trial motions, investigating the circumstance behind a case, witness preparation, and jury selection. The subtle politics, predispositions of different prosecutors and judges, and the success rates of certain arguments are all important elements of a Tennessee DUI case that require vast experience on the part of your defense lawyer. At the law offices of Baker Associates, our lawyers in Knoxville and Sevierville have the experience required to provide outstanding representation and keep clients well informed about their case so they can be an effective member of their defense team.
Count on a DUI lawyer at Baker Associates, serving the Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville area, to provide you with the best counsel available. Schedule a free consultation with a Knoxville criminal defense attorney at one of our offices near Pigeon Forge today.
Tennessee DUI Law
Tennessee Code Annotated 55-10-401
Driving under the influence of intoxicant, drug or drug producing stimulant prohibited - Alcohol concentration in blood or breath.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to drive or to be in physical control of any automobile or other motor driven vehicle on any of the public roads and highways of the state, or on any streets or alleys, or while on the premises of any shopping center, trailer park or any apartment house complex, or any other premises which is generally frequented by the public at large, while:
(1) Under the influence of any intoxicant, marijuana, narcotic drug, or drug producing stimulating effects on the central nervous system; or
(2) The alcohol concentration in such person's blood or breath is eight-hundredths of one percent (.08 %) or more.
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Knox County
2126 First Tennessee Plaza
800 South Gay Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37929
Phone: 865-521-0001
Sevier County
121 Court Avenue
Sevierville, Tennessee 37862
Phone: 865-428-2888
