Arrested in Germantown, TN: What Happens Next?

Germantown, Tennessee is a suburb of Memphis located in Shelby County, Tennessee. Because it is outside the Memphis city limits, it has an independent municipal government that includes its own judicial system. Therefore, if you are charged with a crime in Germantown, your case will not be heard in downtown Memphis court, but in Germantown Municipal Court located at 1930 South Germantown Rd. The Germantown court meets one night at the week, Wednesday.

As with all Tennessee jurisdictions, Germantown crimes fall into two broad categories: felonies and misdemeanors. Both are serious matters, but serious crimes are extremely serious. Virtually all misdemeanors and several felonies are eligible for parole, which means jail time can be avoided and most can be removed from a first-time offender’s record.

The following are some of the more common misdemeanors handled through the Germantown court:

Theft

DUI

Domestic assault

Reckless driving

Minor in possession of alcohol

Possession of marijuana

Disorderly conduct

Under Tennessee law, the maximum punishment for most of these crimes is 11 months and 29 days. You should contact a Germantown criminal defense attorney to see what options exist to keep the charge off your record and avoid jail time.

For example, with Germantown shoplifting charges, the crime can be deferred for a period of time while the defendant pays court costs and performs community service. At the end of that period, the charge can be dropped. Your attorney can coordinate with the store and the prosecutor’s office on how to do this.

Germantown domestic assault cases can sometimes be resolved without a trial or a guilty plea. Probation is always an option for those who qualify, and this may require completing classes in anger management and other court-ordered conditions. Additionally, it may be possible to allow the defendant to return home while the case is pending. If the victim consents, a Germantown domestic violence attorney can work with the prosecutor and judge to amend the no contact order.

For speeding tickets in Germantown, the court offers a six-month probation program. If the person does not receive another fine in that time, the fine will be dismissed with the payment of court costs. A Germantown speeding ticket attorney can go to court for you and fix this.

Germantown DUI cases are a different matter. These cases are not easily dismissed and may need to be tried. When contesting a DUI case, some of the things to look out for are the illegal actions of the police, the driver’s performance on standardized field sobriety tests, and whether or not they had a blood alcohol content test, and, if so, what was the result. Outcome. There can be many other factors. A Germantown DUI attorney can advise you further after reviewing your case.

Felony cases, such as drug possession with intent and sex crimes, will likely go to the grand jury and cannot be resolved in Germantown court. However, you should contact a Germantown criminal defense attorney to begin the investigation and explore what options exist to resolve the case.

Whatever your case, you will have to hire an attorney and have to go to court, possibly many times. The more serious the allegation, the longer it will take to resolve and the greater the potential punishment. However, for most first-time offenders, there will be options to avoid a permanent conviction.

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