Tennessee DUI News

The media makes a major effort to educate the public when law enforcement agencies decide to have a “No Refusal Weekend.”  Since the first Knox County, Tennessee DUI Enforcement “No Refusal Weekend” in July 2012, those who are mis-informed have generated a lot of incorrect information.  This blog entry will attempt to explain in layman’s terms the underlying Tennessee law. Tennessee DUI law, just like criminal law in general, has allowed an officer to apply to a neutral and detached ... Read More »

Tennessee DUI Laws 2012 Two new Tennessee DUI laws now make it more difficult to defend persons accused of driving under the influence.  In another change, the DUI penalty when the driver is accompanied by someone under the age of 18 has increased. The 2012 Tennessee Legislature amended Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-406 (the Implied Consent Law).  This law applies after an officer concludes that a person is probably under the influence of an intoxicant and then requests the suspect ... Read More »

The expungement of a criminal record is now possible for many Tennesseans.  On May 21, 2012, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed into law legislation that broadens eligibility for the criminal expungement statute.  The new law allows for the expungement (also known as cleaning, clearing, erasing and removal) of a criminal charge from a person’s public criminal record.  Many Tennesseans once barred from employment opportunities and stripped of important constitutional rights as the result of a one-time indiscretion, will now be ... Read More »

On May 2, 2012 news sources reported an American scientist and French designer unveiled a new product in Paris that allows people to become intoxicated or drunk in just a few seconds.  They claim it avoids the harmful effects of alcohol.  This mouth spray, called “WAHH Quantum Sensations,” is a lipstick-sized aerosol device that dispenses an amount equivalent to .075 ml of alcohol.  The manufacturers claim the rush lasts only a few seconds and quickly wears off.  Click here for ... Read More »

 Many people believe that every field sobriety test helps an officer determine if someone is intoxicated. This is not true. Officers may administer and reference many different types of field sobriety tests, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has validated and standardized only three to assist them in making a DUI arrest decision. Collectively these tests are often referred to as NHTSA’s Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, referred to by law enforcement officers as SFSTs, or just FSTs. It ... Read More »

Consumers should exercise extreme caution when using any app on a mobile computer to determine whether they are fit to drive. For instance, in late 2011, a company called Breathaleyes began marketing an app on the iTunes store that is to be used to determine whether a person is exhibiting alcohol induced horizontal gaze nystagmus. The HGN is one of the three standardized tests developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to assist officers in determining whether a person’s ... Read More »