Farragut DUI Defense Attorney

Skilled DUI Defense Attorney Protecting Individuals in Farragut, TN

Being charged with driving under the influence (DUI) can happen to anyone. In fact, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one percent of the 210 million licensed drivers in the United States are arrested for DUI each year. Many of those drivers arrested had no criminal record before their DUI arrests.

If you have been charged, you need an aggressive Farragut DUI defense attorney representing you and making sure your rights are protected. At Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney, we have been fighting for clients charged with DUI for more than a decade, and we understand that many of these cases involve drivers who did not drink enough to be impaired or who just had a brief lapse in judgment.

Regardless of why you find yourself in this position, you can be assured that when you hire our law firm, we will aggressively defend you through every step of the legal process. The following are some defense strategies that our DUI defense attorneys have used in past cases that may apply to your situation.

The Police Did Not Have Probable Cause to Stop You

The majority of DUI charges are a result of a traffic stop. The driver was traveling along the road when they were ordered to pull over by a police officer. Our Farragut DUI defense attorneys know that an officer cannot arbitrarily pull a driver over. The officer must have "reasonable suspicion" to pull anyone over, even if it does turn out that the driver was drinking. Examples of reasonable suspicion include observing a driver who is driving far too fast or slow, cutting off other drivers, or weaving between lanes. If the officer did not have reasonable suspicion to make a stop, then any evidence collected during the stop is inadmissible and cannot be used by the prosecutor. This includes evidence like breathalyzer test results, field sobriety test results, or open containers in the vehicle.

DUI Checkpoint Stops

If police stopped you at a DUI checkpoint, Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney will investigate whether or not the checkpoint was in compliance with state regulations. We can challenge the charges against you if we find any irregularities. In Tennessee, police departments must have the proper documents, provide advance public notice, and adhere to the proper law enforcement practices. The checkpoint location must be marked as such. Officers can only speak to each driver for a limited time, just long enough to screen the driver for potential intoxication. They are only allowed to detain drivers who admit to consuming alcohol or some other substance or otherwise are showing signs of impairment.

BAC Test Reliability

The most substantial evidence that a prosecutor usually has against a driver is the test results that show what the driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was at the time of their arrest. In Tennessee, anyone 21 years of age or older is considered under the influence if their BAC measures 0.08 percent or higher. However, one of the ways our Farragut DUI defense attorneys commonly use to fight against clients' DUI charges is to challenge the results of those tests.

One of the most common reasons for inaccurate breathalyzer readings is the device used for your test. It is estimated that readings from these devices can have a margin of error of up to 50 percent of the driver's actual BAC. This can be due to a number of reasons. The device can also give a false reading if the device is not calibrated properly.

Test results can also be called into question if the officer who administered the test was inexperienced or had not been trained properly. A number of medical conditions, including acid reflux, diabetes, and asthma, can also cause an incorrect BAC level.

We Defend Against All DUI Cases

Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney also has considerable experience defending clients who have been charged with marijuana DUI, CDL DUI, felony DUI, and underage DWI.

Our attorneys do not just defend DUI clients who are accused of operating on Tennessee roadways. We also have successfully defended clients who were charged with boating under the influence (BUI). Many people are unaware that enjoying an afternoon on Melton Hill or Fort Loudon Lakes boating and having a couple of alcoholic beverages can result in criminal charges. A BUI conviction carries stringent penalties, just like DUI convictions do.

Contact Our Farragut DUI Defense Attorneys

When you hire Jeffrey Coller, Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorney to defend you, we will thoroughly investigate every step of the arrest process, starting from the initial stop, to determine where the weaknesses in the prosecutor's case can be used to your advantage. Call 865-281-1000 now or fill out an online contact form to set up a free consultation with a seasoned Farragut DUI defense attorney. We will evaluate your case and discuss what type of defense we feel would produce the most favorable results based on the circumstances of your case.