Tennessee residents facing a drunk driving charge may not be aware of the steps they need to take in order to face the charge. While the court system certainly doesn’t take these charges lightly, a person will typically need to prepare a defense. In some situations, the person may not in fact be guilty of the charges leveled against them. A recent article discussing how a man had his drunk driving charge dropped due to an investigator error has made headlines.

In a somewhat strange twist of events, it has been determined that an employee who was responsible for the processing of 2,800 cases was terminated for mishandling evidence. As a result, several cases will be re-investigated and could potentially be overturned. This could impact several people involved in such cases. One incident included switching two blood samples involved in a vehicular homicide case that resulted in the conviction of an innocent man.

Initially, this man’s blood-alcohol content registered at 0.24 percent, three times the legal limit, according to the results given by the investigator accused of making a monumental mistake. Once the blood sample was tested by an independent lab, however, it actually showed a blood-alcohol content of only 0.01 percent and the charges against him were dismissed. It is unknown at this time how many other individuals could be impacted by this discovery, but residents may wish to keep an eye on this ongoing story.

Tennessee residents who think this may impact their situation could benefit from looking into the specifics of this situation. While the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is handling the case and will be moving forward with necessary action, those who have faced a drunk driving charge may benefit from determining if they may be impacted by this. This may also serve as a good example to others facing charges the importance of knowing their rights under the applicable laws and how to make sure all applicable facts are presented in court.

Source: knoxnews.com, Almost 3,000 Tennessee DUI cases in jeopardy after TBI employee fired for mishandling evidence related to Knoxville man’s death, Beth Burger, Oct. 30, 2013