Sutton Law Firm, DUI and Criminal Defense firm

07/06/2026

ANYONE WHO HAS A CDL (commercial driver's license) but who no longer actively needs it for work, turn it in for a regular Class D license.

If you get arrested for DUI and are issued an Implied Consent Notice of Suspension while holding a CDL, you face a "near guaranteed" one year suspension of your CDL and a six month suspension of your regular driving privilege along with other penalties.

IF you don't need your CDL, stop driving with it as your primary license. No deals or agreements can be made at administrative hearings with CDL holders. Please pass the word. We frequently see cases where the officer is not wanting to push the administrative suspension but they have no choice but to go forward with the case with CDL holders.

Also, prosecutors have their hands tied and cannot offer certain case resolutions to CDL holders that are available to those who don't have CDL's.

I wish people would spread the word about this. Please share if you know someone with a CDL.

07/04/2026

HAPPY 250th everyone!!! May freedom long reign with liberty and justice for all!!!

May your celebrations be epically enjoyable and safe!!

🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇

04/14/2026

Very often when I meet a client it's because they are struggling through dark storms of life... Divorce, relationship issues, financial issues, loss of a loved one, broken dreams. Many are deeply hurting and their arrest is just a symptom of deeper problems. I've met alot of very good people at their darkest hours when they feel trapped in a storm they don't think will end. But storms never last and part of my job, I feel, is to help and guide them through the storm and back to the sunshine that always awaits on the other side. It's amazing what good is accomplished with a bit of empathy, caring, guidance, and when needed, a good ass chewing. The trick is sensing what each person needs at a given point in time to get them moving out of their personal storm.

None of us are saints. We are all sinners. Most of us have been that broken person at some point in life. Embracing that reality is a first step in helping hurting brothers and sisters find their way back to moving in the right direction on the road of life, emerging from the blackness of the storm in to the sunlight and blue skies that await on the other side. The many letters, notes, and now reviews I've received from people I've helped over the past thirty years are a source of constant inspiration for me. My clients often don't realize it, but they have an impact on me my life is enriched by knowing them and assisting them. To see someone who struggled with alcohol for years finally get sober or to see someone addicted to drugs break those chains and go forth to find happiness and success.... To see people go from crying, broken, and feeling no hope to smiling, happy, confident, and working towards their dreams.... Man, it just doesn't get much better.

Helping people is my passion. That is what drives me and moves me. It's what I'll miss most when I hang up my hat (when the time comes). To all of my thousands of clients since 1995, thank you for entrusting me to walk with you through the storm. You've left a deep and lasting impression on my life and I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do the same with "your" lives.

Thank you!

Helping good people through dark times since 1995.

03/15/2026

In my opinion, and based on my experience, putting even the most prepared client on the stand is a very dangerous move.

In a criminal case, the prosecution bears the burden of persuading the jury that a defendant is guilty and they must do that by presenting proof that convinces the jury that a defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That's a high burden of proof and a difficult one to meet.

I frequently advised my clients to not testify and to let me attack the prosecution's case through cross examination of the prosecution witnesses and in closing argument. In a substantial majority of my trials, that worked.

Where things don't go well is when a client thought they could outsmart an experienced prosecutor and decided to ignore my advice and testify. In SC, once you take that stand, the prosecutor can ask questions beyond the scope of what you testified to. They can bring up things to attack your credibility and show that you aren't believable and cast aspersions on your character. There are cases when you have to choose to put a client on the stand. However, I've found that it very often doesn't end well.

As for cross examination, which is the art of asking questions in order to lead the listener to the conclusion you'd like them to reach, I thoroughly enjoy it. It's a strength. It's a thing of beauty to weave a web for a dishonest witness and to lead them in where they become hopelessly entangled and to see their eyes go wide at that instant when they realize they have been hopelessly trapped with their own words. And to do it with a smile, priceless.

(The below excerpts are from a story about a double murder case in which the defendant chose to take the stand. It did not appear to be going well for him).

02/28/2026

Let me first say that there are many excellent and dedicated law enforcement officers. However, I've been in this business long enough to know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and that every grant of authority to the police will be abused by a segment of law enforcement officers.

SC recently passed a new hands free driving law. The first screenshot shows the code section. You should read it.

The second screenshot is very important. It places limitations on what the police cannot do when stopping you for a hands free violation.

They cannot seize or search your phone. But it will happen.
They cannot search your car as a result of this kind of stop. But it will happen.
They cannot arrest you for violating the hands free law (unless you have an outstanding warrant). But it will happen.

It's important for all citizens to read this new law and understand what they can't do while driving.
But it's just as important for citizens to know their rights under this new law and understand what law enforcement can and cannot do.

We allegedly live in the land of the free but we are subject to countless government restrictions on personal freedom. Those restrictions are always wrapped in benevolent sounding reasons but as history demonstrates, they will used as intended as well as subject to widespread abuse.

Be careful out there folks.

02/14/2026

This problem isn't limited to TN. When state and local government incentivizes and encourages certain types of arrests, sometimes with good intentions, many innocent people end up paying the price. I see it frequently.

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/02/14/41-dui-arrests-by-trooper-dismissed-after-many-drivers-were-deemed-sober/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAP9T4BjbGNrA_1PeWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHnMZqwBmFjMIU3tyIPOqwRT0qCpQY5Bti-1JW5MxwTpSjuTH3hBVEDZpAjGl_aem_widTJuJ15Ec5GvSPK6LnHA

Forty-one DUI arrests made by a single Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper in Bedford County have been dismissed.

01/24/2026

Throughout my career, I have prevailed in many "close call" contested cases by actually visiting the location of the alleged offense. Driving it, walking it, measuring it, photographing it. Going there at the same time as the arrest to see it as my client saw it.

No, I don't do this in every case, nor is that necessary. But there are those cases where law enforcement or the prosecutor digs in their heels and puts on blinders. It's amazing what I discover when going to the scene. The slope of the road, a muddy shoulder that quickly drops off, a parking lot strewn with pebbles in which a person did field sobriety exercises barefoot. There are so many things that can be learned from visiting and investigating a scene that can demonstrate the client is right or that the investigation was not conducted fairly or the report contains inaccurate details.

If you see me out walking along a roadway at night or in the freezing cold, now you know why. There's nothing like having an "Ah ha!" moment when conducting an investigation and what is learned leads to a good case outcome.

Going the extra mile is how you obtain not guilty verdicts in ten minutes or less in a close case and it's how you obtain an acceptable offer when the initial offer isn't acceptable. Since the earliest days of my career, I've gone out of my way to visit incident locations and put in the hard and sometimes uncomfortable work on behalf of serving my clients. I've learned that many of them who protest the most about their arrest actually had good reasons to protest.

Helping good people through bad times since 1995.

01/15/2026

Spread the word and speak up.

This is nothing more than a money grab and excuse to ticket people.

I spend a good bit of time out at Market Common and have since it opened over twenty years ago. If there's a problem on Farrow Parkway it's actually people driving too slowly rather than too fast. In decades of going out there, I have very rarely seen accidents or incidents.

There is NO good public safety reason for decreasing the speed limit that in the stretch of Farrow Parkway adjacent to the Market Common shops is already a very low 30 mph.

Lower the speed limit and start ticketing people aggressively and watch business decline as people choose to go elsewhere. Many of the businesses and restaurants at Market Common are already struggling and this unneeded action would add another city government inflicted wound on local businesses.

Speak up and let city council know this is neither needed nor a good idea.

01/06/2026

Poor training leads to bad arrests.....this issue exists here as well.

Innocent lives are severely impacted by these wrongful arrests.

01/06/2026

It occurs in every state. I've seen countless examples here. When the state offers incentives to police officers and hands out awards based on total DUI arrests rather than convictions, abuse like this is certain to occur.

The only thing that separates an innocent person from a wrongful conviction is a good, experienced DUI lawyer. When people ask how I can defend "drunk drivers", this is exhibit A. Alleging someone is drunk or impaired is very different than offering solid proof of the same.

I'm proud to help people and protect their jobs, their ability to drive, and their dreams. Defending against wrongful arrests since 1993.