Author: Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers
A simple search or a Pandora’s Box?
When the police stop you for a traffic violation, that stop opens a door on your life. They run your license plate, looking for any other traffic or other violations, arrest warrants or other criminal charges. If they suspect that you are intoxicated, they can charge you with a DUI, arrest you, take you into custody
When is a drunk driving case not a drunk driving case?
If a driver swerves on a road, and forces another vehicle to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a car accident, is it logical to assume the driver was intoxicated and allow the police to stop that vehicle under the suspicion that he or she is a drunk driver? The U.S. Supreme Court answered yes in
Chattanooga traffic safety likely means more DUI stops
This week the Chattanooga Police Department has announced that it will be increasing traffic enforcement for the rest of this year and into 2015. The department has received a grant from Governor’s Highway Safety Office with a goal of improving traffic safety by reducing the number of serious crashes, traffic deaths and DUI offenders. This
Tennessee crash prevention could mean stricter DUI enforcement
Tennessee authorities and safety officials are celebrating. They report that the last few years have been safer on the roads than others in the state. Fewer people have died in traffic accidents altogether, and state officials plan to continue that trend in 2014. Drastic measures are often taken in the name of safety. Those measures
Study suggests older drivers have lower alcohol tolerance
For decades, critics of drunk driving laws have challenged the reliability of set BAC levels. The legal BAC limit in Tennessee is 0.08. That goes for any suspect, whether male or female, young or old. A recent study related to drunk driving suggests how a universal BAC limit might not fit all DUI situations. Age
Timing and role models contribute to underage DUIs
The law doesn’t discriminate when it comes to age and drunk driving charges. If a teenager is charged with underage DUI in Tennessee, he or she has a lot at risk. A drunk driving conviction can have a significant impact on anyone’s life. A study recently published in Pediatrics identifies the young drivers who are
Is current Tennessee blood test law constitutional?
In Tennessee DUI investigations, apparently one strike means a suspect is out. But should a DUI suspect be out of his constitutional right simply because of his history? A criminal defense lawyer in Tennessee is challenging a current DUI law in the state that he claims goes against the supreme law of this land. He
Newly-hired Vanderbilt coach benched following DUI conviction
Earlier this year, Vanderbilt University announced its hiring of a new assistant football coach. That new coaching position for Vavae Tata didn’t last long. He has a DUI arrest to credit for at least the temporary loss of his coaching job. On Feb. 16, Tata was arrested for suspicion of drunk driving and leaving the
Jury agrees: Kennedy’s impairment was mistake, not criminal
What are some of your daily routines? If you are like many other Tennessee residents, you probably wake up, have breakfast, take your vitamins, medications and a shower. It sounds like it is no different for even high-profile public figure Kerry Kennedy. Kennedy says she takes medication for her thyroid. She apparently also takes sleeping
Tennessee Supreme Court Decision on Field Sobriety Tests Overhyped
The recent decision of the Tennessee Supreme Court on February 20, 2014 in the case of State of Tennessee v. David Dwayne Bell has been reported in the news media like it has broken new ground in favor of prosecutors in the area of DUI or Driving Under the Influence cases. In reality it is just one set