Being pulled over by a police officer and facing accusations of driving under the influence is a stressful ordeal. However, being placed under arrest does not mean that a person is guilty of the crime with which he or she has been charged. In fact, the chance does exist that drunk driving charges could be dropped if the circumstances warrant such action.

It was recently reported that a Tennessee police officer who was pulled over while off duty is getting a reprieve. The situation started in October when a state trooper allegedly saw the man driving without headlights on, speeding and swerving. As a result, the trooper conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the trooper asked the driver to step out of the vehicle and asked whether he had been drinking. The man reportedly stated that he had two beers.

The trooper had the man perform field sobriety tests and was allegedly unable to maintain his balance throughout the tests. The trooper then took the man into custody on charges of DUI. However, recently, a judge dropped the charges against the man after learning that his blood alcohol concentration level was under the legal limit. It was noted that the officer would remain on modified duty while an internal investigation of the incident continued.

As this case shows, individuals who face drunk driving charges do not have to feel out of hope. The details of the arrest and other aspects of the case could have a major impact on the charges. As a result, individuals facing such charges in Tennessee may want to ensure that they go over their cases thoroughly.