No one is happy after being arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).  It would be nice if you could simply talk to a prosecutor on your own and get the charge worked out. 

Unfortunately, that doesn't work.

The prosecutor has a job to do: have you found guilty, or work out a plea bargain where you plead guilty, lose your license indefinitely, and possibly even serve time in jail.

Worse yet, if you lose your DUI case, there are other penalties, too: you could be subject to large fines, gigantic increases in your auto insurance bills, litter pickup along the sides of area roadways, alcohol education programs (DUI School), loss of future job opportunities, and other complications if an employer runs a background check and finds a DUI conviction on your record.

If you are found guilty of a DUI offense, that conviction remains on your criminal record for the rest of your life. You can have that conviction removed or expunged from your record only under very limited circumstances, such as a dismissal of the charges against you, a not guilty verdict, or a deferred disposition.

Your best chance to minimize the pain is to have an experienced Tennessee DUI lawyer on your side.  Depending on your circumstances, a skilled attorney can avoid the most serious consequences of a DUI charge. Waiting until after an arraignment to hire a Knoxville DUI lawyer can result in important evidence being lost over the passage of time. Of course, it also means that you will not have a lawyer representing you at the arraignment itself.

Knoxville DUI attorney Glen B. Rutherford has been representing clients accused of DUI for over thirty years combined in the courts of East Tennessee.  If you or someone you know has been accused of driving under the influence, we would be happy to review your case and see if we can help.

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