Each year, law enforcement officials across Tennessee, including in Hamilton and Marion Counties, step up their DUI enforcement over the holidays. That’s because 40% of traffic-related deaths during Christmas and New Year’s involve drunk drivers (according to the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). As the result of increased patrols, more drivers end up facing drunk driving charges in December and early January. In fact, from Dec. 21, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021, more than 35 drivers in Hamilton County were arrested for DUIs.
If you find yourself facing a DUI after a holiday drunk driving arrest, you need to keep the following in mind:
- You should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible after your arrest. An experienced attorney can review the circumstances of your arrest to see if you can get your DUI charges reduced or dismissed. Your blood alcohol breath test may have been inaccurate or police could have administered the test improperly.
- An attorney can present your best defense against a DUI conviction, which can have a long-term impact on your life. Not only will you have to pay fines, possibly serve time in jail and face a license suspension for a DUI conviction, having a DUI on your criminal record can hurt your ability to get a better job or keep the one you have.
- Once you have one DUI on your record, you face stiffer penalties if you receive a second, third or fourth offense. If you already have three DUI convictions on your record, your fourth would be a felony offense, which also can limit your employment prospects, where you can live and more for years.
You want to do all you can to protect your freedom if you are facing DUI charges and lessen the impact a conviction can have on your life. That’s why seeking help when facing drunk driving charges is so important.