In short, my son has broken the law and is facing two felony charges. I won’t try to defend his character by mitigating, but this offense came out of left field. Our only hope is that he has no prior record other than traffic related and perhaps he could get a punishment that includes as little jail time as possible.

I’m not one to be soft on criminal behavior. I’m indescribably disappointed in my son’s moral choices over the last two years. But I’m here to tell you, I know what jail means and he doesn’t have the constitution for it. He’s young naive and scared. So if I can move punishment to work and service somehow, that would be all I could hope for.

The trouble for me is that I am new here. I have zero connections. I’ve got zero experience with criminal justice and contact with a public defense attorney yielded a strange response that made no sense constitutionally. Is there perhaps a lawyer in the SIGforum community that knows Tennessee law that I could consult with privately?

I suggest you make direct contact with a criminal attorney in the TN jurisdiction. What is the city/county in TN? If in Nashville/Davidson area I can give you a couple of names.

Just something to keep in mind, generally defense lawyers either defend “idiots” OR “villains”.

(They are the only two groups which can pay.)

They’ll probably refer you to the other, if the boy is in a category other than their usual.

What county?

We are in Claiborne County as was the offense and arrest.

Kids are kids. They are full of surprises sometimes, and not always good. We can never stop being a parent no matter how old they get. I can only wish you the best, and a speedy end to the situation.

quote:

Claiborne County

As you know Claiborne County is very rural. I think that you must find a local attorney that knows the judge & prosecutor. They may go to the same church & play golf together.

quote:

As you know Claiborne County is very rural. I think that you must find a local attorney that knows the judge & prosecutor. They may go to the same church & play golf together.

Yes. Ask around... get a referral.
You don't want a "big city" Nashville attorney in a rural area. You want someone local.

Depends on the offense. Was there a victim? What about their rights? These are my questions with no more info than is presented.

quote:

As you know Claiborne County is very rural. I think that you must find a local attorney that knows the judge & prosecutor. They may go to the same church & play golf together.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In spades. I worked in rural TN for four years. The rural counties are very different from the urban areas. If it is a crime against a local citizen, it is even more critical that you get an attorney that knows the Judge.

As others have suggested get a local attorney for your son as soon as possible. If its his first offense he might get lucky and receive a light sentence that doesn't include jail time just probation and/or community service. Usually pleading guilty and avoiding a trial results in a lessor sentence so pleading guilty might be his best option to avoid jail but it depends on what crime he committed. All court appointed attorneys aren't bad, some are very competent and just as good as someone you pay out of pocket so I wouldn't be quick to dismiss one.

Been through similar, in Fayetteville, AR. Advice above to try to find good, connected local attorney is good.

In the immediacy you just need to get him bailed out and regroup. That may mean the attorney you first find isn't perfect option for the whole ordeal.

Also based on my experience, do not expect a resolution to this in a rapid fashion. In our case made worse by courts changing protocol during 2020/2021. Also DO expect to write a check in the low five-figures range, in advance. (see idiots and villains comment above).

Good luck, know it's frustrating, scary and about 22 other emotions right now.

As a criminal defense attorney in MA, even in a big city you want a known attorney with a good relationship with the jurisdiction. Smaller areas are even more clique, but the small town lawyer knows his playing field. However if it's a major felony, you may want a more seasoned attorney who does only serious criminal work. A judge in a rural area may not like a city lawyer, but will also know how far he or she can push with that lawyer. A big city lawyer really won't care about stepping on toes if he has to go.to an appeals or Supreme Court to get a local Judge to act accordingly. If you have questions pm me.

If he has no means of his own, public defender.

Look for an attorney who either does criminal defense 100% of his/her practice. If not full time it's the person's primary practice. Criminal law is complex and constantly changing at the appellate level due to the number of appeals. Look for membership in: Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Kevin, I'm really sorry to hear this and wish you all the best. Sorry, no other advice to offer. Sending good thoughts!

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Kevin, I'm really sorry to hear this and wish you all the best. Sorry, no other advice to offer. Sending good thoughts!

^^^^
Yeah, this.
Hope things work out for your family

Call the local Probation and Parole office. Ask to speak to a PO or duty officer and ask them what attorney they'd want representing them if the need ever arose. They deal with judges and attorneys more than anyone.

If you know any LE officers there, also ask them. Ask around at work, church, etc. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out who's worth their salt and who isn't.

Having said all of that, maybe some time in custody is exactly what your son needs. How old is he?

I have nothing to offer about your request, other than this:

I wish to extend my condolences to you while enduring a bad situation. I've had a child run off the rails too.

I will say a lot of times in my experience a simple consultation with the district judge or the presiding judge that's going to hear his case can go a long ways, particularly if you go in there with your hat in your hand. it helps to get things going in the direction that you're looking for. You may also want to find out if there is some type of pre trial diversion that he may be eligible for, which usually is a lot like probation, and lastly, like everyone here says, get him a good attorney, one that is local, a lot of these deals are made behind closed doors and over lunch and over coffee and are decided well before anyone steps into the courtroom. I will say also, if there are any victims in this case it may behoove you, if you legally can and it's in your best interest, to reach out to them and find if there's some type of way to drop the charges before you even step into court, or possibly turn it from a criminal matter into just a civil matter that would keep something off of his record, a lot of times a victim will drop the case for the right amount of money or under the right circumstances particularly if there has been a lengthy amount of time between the time of the offense and the time to go to court. These are all common tactics that I have seen from my side in the last 20 years of working , I cannot stress the importance of having someone local who is proficient at moving behind closed doors and getting things done behind closed doors this is where most of that case will be or could be handled before you even step into court..SPEND THE MONEY ON A GOOD ATTY !