Criminal Defense Case Results in Rutherford, TN

Charge

Possession or Distribution of Alcohol by a Person Under 21

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

The case stemmed from a traffic stop where officers questioned our client about alcohol in the vehicle. He acknowledged purchasing it earlier, the officers poured it out and released him. The next day a separate charge was filed alleging possession or distribution of alcohol by a person under 21. We moved quickly, obtained the police report, and focused on the lack of preserved evidence and any proof he furnished alcohol to anyone. After pressing these issues with the prosecutor and preparing to litigate them, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Bennett

Allegations

Police arrested our client for DUI after a two-car collision, administering roadside tests and later securing a warrant for a hospital blood draw. From day one we documented the client's account that wet roads, a damaged tire, and fatigue played a major role in the crash. We demanded the body camera footage, the warrant and medical records, and full lab data. We challenged the reliability of the field testing and insisted on strict proof of the blood's handling and analysis. Facing those evidentiary issues and without definitive lab results, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

After a traffic stop for alleged lane drift, the client declined roadside sobriety tests and was taken to a station where a blood draw was performed. We immediately demanded the lab report and all dash and body camera footage to scrutinize the basis for the stop and whether proper consent warnings were given. The blood result came back elevated, but the documented measurement uncertainty put it near an enhancement threshold. We leveraged the consent advisement issue and testing margins in negotiations. The DUI was reduced to a lesser charge with straight probation.

Charge

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

After a late-night traffic stop for alleged lane maintenance, campus police arrested our client for DUI following roadside tests and a later blood draw. We zeroed in on how the field tests were instructed and performed and questioned the basis for the stop. We also scrutinized whether consent for the draw was valid and the effect of the delay between driving and testing. With those evidentiary issues on the table and no prior record, we pressed negotiations. The state agreed to reduce the charge and the client received straight probation.

Charge

DUI - First Offense

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

Stopped after driving on a blown tire from a minor collision, our client was arrested for DUI. They admitted to drinking, completed field sobriety tests, and consented to a blood draw, with no other substances reported. We secured the body and dash camera footage and the lab records, and handled bond compliance by arranging alcohol monitoring while the vehicle was in the shop. Armed with the evidence and mitigation showing immediate sobriety efforts and full compliance, we pressed the prosecution in negotiations. The state reduced the charge and the client received straight probation.

Charge

Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Ben Hall McFarlin III

Allegations

A traffic unit stopped our client after alleging the vehicle failed to maintain a single lane. The citation was filed as Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic alongside a related investigation. We examined the report language and the officer's description of any lane drift against what the statute actually requires. We pressed the state on whether the brief deviation described created a safety risk and whether the stop observations were consistent. With those weaknesses on the table and our readiness to litigate, the prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge.

Charge

DUI

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Lisa Eischeid

Allegations

After a late-night single-vehicle rollover on a wet road, a bystander called police. Medics transported the client, so no field sobriety tests were done at the scene. A hospital blood sample was taken, then a later police blood draw followed, using different testing methods. We pressed for the bodycam and full lab packets and challenged the blood evidence, citing plasma versus whole-blood testing, the absence of roadside tests, and the client’s coerced-consent concern at the ER. As a contested hearing approached and those problems persisted, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

Aggravated Assault (Class C Felony)

Location

Rutherford County, SMYRNA JUSTICE CENTER

Allegations

Police were called during a domestic mental health episode. Officers alleged aggravated assault after a knife was thrown and later found lodged in a door, though the client maintained it was not directed at anyone. We obtained the reports and documented that no one was injured and the complaining witness stated he did not feel threatened and did not wish to pursue the case. We highlighted the mental health context and the conflicting accounts in the record. Confronted with these problems, the prosecution dismissed the charge.

Charge

Domestic Assault - Second Offense

Location

Rutherford County, Judge Lisa Eischeid

Allegations

A domestic argument at a residence escalated, and a neighbor reported seeing the incident. Officers arrived and arrested the client, while the complainant later declined to give a statement. We obtained the reports and body‑camera footage, scrutinized the third‑party account, and compared it with the complainant’s later position, highlighting key inconsistencies. We set the case for a contested setting to force the state to produce its witnesses. Confronted with an uncooperative complainant and evidentiary weaknesses, the prosecution dismissed the case.