Chattanooga Felony DUI Attorney
Aggressive Defense Against Felony DUI Charges in Tennessee
Felony DUIs are serious matters with significantly high stakes. As a result, you must put an experienced and hardworking lawyer on your defense. Our firm is dedicated to your fight and will keep you informed and reassured every step of the way. We will help you navigate an overwhelming criminal justice system and provide the genuine and caring advocacy you need in the face of your felony DUI charges.
Are you facing a felony DUI charge in Tennessee? Call the Law Offices of Meredith Mochel today at (423) 250-1499 or contact us online to schedule a meeting with our felony DUI lawyer in Chattanooga!
What is Vehicular Assault?
One type of felony DUI is vehicular assault, a Class D felony. TN Code § 39-13-106 (2015) defines vehicular assault as an incident when someone recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another person by operating a motor vehicle. This recklessness could be due to intoxication by alcohol or drugs, or both.
The penalties for vehicular assault include:
- 2-12 years in jail;
- license revocation for 1-5 years (depending on the number of priors);
- fines; and
- court costs.
If the defendant has one prior conviction for an alcohol-related offense, they will face a 45-day mandatory minimum sentence in jail (increased from the standard 48 hours for a first offense). Those with two priors will face a mandatory minimum of 120 days, and those with three will face a minimum of 150 days.
Note that the defendant will be charged with aggravated vehicular assault if they have two prior DUI-related convictions or one prior DUI conviction (within 20 years) that involved a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .20% or more.
What Constitutes Vehicular Homicide?
Another type of felony DUI is vehicular homicide, which involves the reckless killing of another person by the operation of a motor vehicle while the driver:
- creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to a person (Class C felony);
- is intoxicated by alcohol or drugs or both (Class B felony);
- is engaging in prohibited drag racing (Class C felony); or
- drove into a posted construction zone where the person killed was an employee of the department of transportation or a highway construction worker (Class D felony).
As with vehicular assault, the penalties for vehicular homicide will depend on the defendant's prior convictions. If they have one prior conviction for an alcohol-related offense, they will face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 45 days, increased from the standard 48 hours. If they have two priors for an alcohol-related offense, the mandatory minimum will rise to 120 days. Lastly, if the defendant has three or more priors, they will incur a mandatory minimum of 150 days.
In addition to jail time, the court may prohibit a defendant from driving in Tennessee for 3-10 years.
- Note that an offense will be charged as aggravated vehicular homicide by intoxication if the defendant has two prior convictions within 20 years or one prior DUI conviction that involved a BAC of .20 or more.
Start your defense with our felony defense DUI attorney in Chattanooga!
Contact Our Chattanooga Felony DUI Lawyer Today
If you have been charged with a felony DUI in Chattanooga, such as vehicular assault or vehicular homicide, let the Law Offices of Meredith Mochel defend you. We have handled many DUI cases throughout our practice, including felony DUIs. As felony DUIs are much more serious, you need an experienced attorney like ours to build a strong and thorough defense.
Contact Law Offices of Meredith Mochel today to schedule a FREE consultation with our felony DUI attorney in Chattanooga!
