New legislation has been proposed in Tennessee with regard to the purchasing of alcohol after being convicted of DUI multiple times. The bill was introduced in February by Representative John Holsclaw. He stated that he hopes a new law will help reduce the number of repeated drunk driving offenses in the state.

A county sheriff recently lamented that intoxicated driving is an ongoing problem in the state of Tennessee. He also stated that he does not believe that revocation of licenses to drive adequately resolves the issue. The newly proposed bill would preclude those who have been convicted of DUI three or more times from being permitted to purchase alcohol.

In order to carry out the proposal, the courts would provide the Department of Safety with records containing information on the convictions. The convicted person’s driver’s license would then be stamped with a notation that says they are not allowed to purchase alcohol. Department of Safety estimates show that there are more than 900 three-time or more convictions of driving under the influence, per year, in the state.

The sheriff expressed his support of the new legislation, saying that he thinks it could help resolve the repeated drunk driving problem in Tennessee. It is possible that a person charged with DUI did not realize he or she was intoxicated or had experienced other circumstances that led to the suspected offense. Regardless of the specific details of a case, anyone accused of driving under the influence is entitled to competent legal representation when preparing to face the court.

Source: wcyb.com, “Tennessee lawmakers considering new DUI bill“, Stephanie Santostasi, April 13, 2015