Friday, October 4, 2024
The Latest DUI News and Information From DUI Defense Attorneys Across the Country

Extreme DUIs

The question that should arise when dealing with “extreme DUIs” is, what is an extreme DUI?  Generally speaking, the term extreme DUI is a colloquialism referring to a case where the defendant charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicant faces increased punishment due to a blood or breath alcohol level in excess of a certain amount; a blood alcohol level in combination with a controlled substance; or violating this law with multiple controlled substances in their bloodstream. The alcohol levels at which the penalties increase vary from state to state.  In Tennessee, the blood alcohol level at which an increased penalty applies to a first offense is .20%.  Other states use a cut-off of .16%.

As of October 20, 2020 Utah is strongly considering joining almost 20 other states such as Tennessee and Arizona by implementing such a law.  The rationale behind such laws is that drivers with higher blood alcohol levels are more likely to be involved in an accident injuring themselves and/or others.

Hiring a board-certified DUI defense lawyer and/or a chemical test expert becomes even more important when dealing with extreme DUIs. Understanding blood analyses to discredit or keep the prosecution’s blood test evidence from being used in court may make a huge difference in a defendant’s penalty if convicted.


About the Author: Steven Oberman has been licensed in Tennessee since 1980, and successfully defended over 2,500 DUI defendants.  Among the many honors bestowed upon him, Steve has served as Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. (NCDD) and currently serves as chair of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI Committee.  Steve was the first lawyer in Tennessee to be Board Certified as a DUI Defense Specialist by the NCDD.

He is the author of DUI: The Crime & Consequences in Tennessee, updated annually since 1991 (Thomson-West), and co-author with Lawrence Taylor of the national treatise, Drunk Driving Defense, 8th edition (Wolters Kluwer/Aspen).  Steve has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Law School since 1993 and has received a number of prestigious awards for his faculty contributions.  He is a popular international speaker, having spoken at legal seminars in 30 states, the District of Columbia and six foreign countries.  After being named a Fulbright Scholar, Steve was honored to teach as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Latvia Law School in the capital city of Riga, Latvia during the Spring Semester of 2019.  If you would like to contact the author, please visit his website at www.tndui.com.

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.

Leave a Reply

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