General Criminal Defense

Our Knoxville criminal defense attorneys represent clients who have been charged with a variety of misdemeanor and felony crimes. A criminal conviction can negatively impact your future, including where you live and work. Even if you are not sentenced to jail or prison, a criminal conviction may impact your legal rights, including your right to vote and your right to possess (carry) firearms. If have been charged with a crime or you are being currently investigated by a law enforcement agency, we urge you to contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. Our attorneys are available to speak with you 24/7. In no event should you discuss the details of your case with anyone without first consulting your attorney.

DUI and DWI Defense

Impaired driving may include driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs – even drugs that have been legally prescribed to you by a physician. DUI and DWI are serious charges that should not be downplayed as simple traffic violations. The immediate consequences of a DUI conviction may include expensive fines and court costs, significant jail time, revocation of driving privileges, and enrollment in a court-approved DUI education course. For subsequent DUI convictions, you could lose your vehicle and face penalties that increase in severity. Our DUI defense team represents clients charged with all matters related to drunk and/or drugged driving in Tennessee.

Expungement of Criminal Records

A criminal record can have serious, negative, and permanent implications for your future. A criminal conviction never automatically “drops off” of your criminal record. Therefore, future employers, colleges, landlords, and other individuals may access your criminal record and learn of the details surrounding your criminal conviction. However, some crimes may qualify for expungement – whether the criminal offense was dismissed or, in some instances, even if you were convicted of a Tennessee crime. Expungement removes any public record of the criminal conviction. Our Knoxville expungement attorneys can review your conviction to determine if it qualifies for expungement.

Forfeitures

A forfeiture proceeding is a civil action that is typically associated with a criminal charge. In some cases, you may be required to forfeit property that was used in the commission of a crime or property that is related to a crime. For instance, you may be required to forfeit your vehicle following a Tennessee DUI arrest or forfeit your personal property used in the commission of drug crimes. If your property is seized, it is imperative that you contact our Knoxville forfeiture attorneys immediately so that your rights to your property may be protected. If the proper procedures are not followed, you could lose all rights to your property, even if you are eventually acquitted of the charges, or the charges are otherwise dismissed.

Habitual Motor Vehicle Offender

As of July 1, 2019, the Tennessee Legislature repealed the Motor Vehicle Habitual Offenders Act (HMVO).  Although Tennessee offenders may no longer be declared Habitual Motor Vehicle Offenders, those who were declared HMVO prior to the change in Tennessee law are still not permitted to drive until their Tennessee HMVO status is lawfully terminated.

In order to reinstate an offender’s driving privileges, the offender should retain a Tennessee lawyer experienced in Habitual Motor Vehicle Cases to file the appropriate paperwork and petition the court for reinstatement of driving privileges.  Only after a reinstatement petition is granted, may the motorist obtain a valid Tennessee driver’s license from the Tennessee Department of Safety.

Other Crimes

Oberman & Rice also handle a variety of cases involving other crimes. Our Knoxville criminal defense lawyers have the experience, resources, and knowledge you need on your side as you defend yourself against felony or misdemeanor crimes in Tennessee. We understand the elements that the state must prove for a criminal conviction and how to craft a strong defense strategy.

Traffic Court Violations

Many people view traffic tickets as minor inconveniences. However, traffic citations can result in fines, probation, driver history points, and revocation of driving privileges. An important secondary consequence of a traffic ticket is a likely substantial increase in your vehicle insurance premiums. Our Tennessee traffic ticket attorneys investigate the circumstances surrounding your traffic violation to determine if your legal rights were violated. In many cases, we are able to assist clients to minimize or avoid the consequences of a traffic citation.

More information about the types of cases the Knoxville criminal defense attorneys of Oberman & Rice handle can be found on our Practice Areas page. We have several links to the right of the page that provide additional information on some examples of the types of criminal case that our firm handles.

If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Tennessee, our lawyers want to assist you in working to bring about the best possible resolution based on the facts in your case. You should contact our law firm as quickly as possible after an arrest or if you have contact with a law enforcement officer so that our Tennessee criminal defense lawyers can conduct a prompt investigation of the circumstances surrounding the criminal charges. A prompt investigation by a trained team of criminal defense lawyers and our investigators increases your chance of obtaining the best possible outcome for your case.