Anyone can be arrested for Drunk Driving (DUI)

On August 8, 2012, a former Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, Jonathan Reed, was arrested in Cookeville, Tennessee for the misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence (DUI) and possession of a handgun while under the influence.  Former trooper Reed had been dismissed from the Tennessee Highway Patrol in June, 2012 for gross misconduct.  More information may be obtained from: http://www.newschannel5.com.

A former president of a defunct chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was arrested on February 18, 2011 for drunk driving (DUI).  Debra Oberlin, previous president of the now defunct MADD chapter in Gainesville, Florida, registered .23% on two separate breath alcohol tests.

Even country music star Randy Travis was arrested in North Texas on August 10, 2012 for DUI along with some related charges.  And he wasn’t wearing any clothes!

One has to wonder how many times each of these persons prejudged others for similar behavior.

You can be a celebrity or a nobody and be arrested for DUI.  The important things to remember are:
1.  The risk of arrest (or injuring yourself or others) is not worth drinking and driving; and
2.  You can be arrested for DUI based solely on an officer’s erroneous opinion.

Because the penalties and other consequences are so significant, it is important to defend the charge aggressively in order to give you the best opportunity to keep a wrongful conviction off your criminal record.  This means hiring a well-qualified lawyer to assist you.  If one is available, a lawyer who is Board Certified as a  DUI Defense Specialist by the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) may be your best choice.  In any event, if you have questions about a DUI arrest, it is important to obtain as much information as possible.  Any of the lawyers who post on this website are happy to assist you.  Don’t squander this opportunity.

Read more:

Tagged with

Picture of Steve Oberman

Steve Oberman

Since graduating from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1980, Mr. Oberman has become established as a national authority on the intricacies of DUI defense law. Steve is a former Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, co-author of a national treatise ("Drunk Driving Defense" published by Aspen/Wolters-Kluwer), and author of "DUI: The Crime and Consequences in Tennessee" (published by Thomson-Reuters/West). He has taught thousands of lawyers, judges, and members of the general public about the intricacies of this crime. Steve was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach American Criminal Law and American Trial Advocacy at the University of Latvia School of Law in 2019; in 2023 taught for a semester as a visiting professor at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Faculty of Law in Budapest, Hungary; and as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law in 2024. Steve has also presented at a number of judicial conferences in the United States and Canada as well as for law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Czech Republic Police Academy. As a Tennessee DUI attorney, Mr. Oberman has successfully defended over two thousand clients charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or drugs. In 2006, Mr. Oberman became the first DUI lawyer in Tennessee to be recognized by the National College for DUI Defense as a Board Certified Specialist in the area of DUI Defense law.

One Response

  1. Over the last couple of years we have seen a huge spike in Police related drink driving incidents. Gone are the days when a fellow police office would sweep the matter under the carpet a let a colleague off. More and more police are being caught DUI and they should simply know better. Even judges are breaking the laws that they work to uphold.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *