Tennessee Safety Commissioner Said DUI Laws Need Streamlining
This past Tuesday, Tennessee Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons advocated for streamlining the state’s lengthy DUI laws. He explained that since lawmakers have routinely added to the laws throughout the past years, the result has been an overly complex patchwork of laws pertaining to Tennessee DUI offenses.
“What we’re looking at is trying to possibly streamline our DUI laws. Right now our DUI law is 58 pages long. That’s compared to an 18-page first-degree murder death-penalty statute. So it’s very complicated,” Gibbons explained in a speech in Nashville to law enforcement officials.
The Commissioner said his goal is to make the Tennessee DUI laws more clear for citizens as well as defense attorneys and prosecutors. New DUI proposals will be made to the Tennessee legislature in January, but in the coming months decisions may be made on what will be presented.
Governor Haslam’s administration is also considering making further additions to the DUI law in order to make it tougher. For instance, mandating individuals convicted of DUI to undergo alcohol abuse treatment.
Since the DUI laws in Tennessee are complex, technical and constantly evolving, the advice of an experienced DUI attorney can be valuable for those facing DUI charges. An attorney can advise you of your rights, challenge the evidence against you, and raise any applicable defenses. This includes examining whether a stop made by law enforcement was valid, and the reliability of blood and breathalyzer tests. A lawyer can work to protect your license, keep convictions off your record and prevent you from needing to serve any jail time.
Source: The Commercial Appeal, “Bill Gibbons says Tennessee’s DUI Laws need streamlining,” Richard Locker, September 12, 2012