Coffee County DUI Court Process

DUI cases in Coffee County are heard in General Sessions Court at 300 Hillsboro Boulevard in Manchester. The clerk is Jenny Anthony at (931) 723-5110, and case records are online at the county's public court records page. The court runs in two parts with two judges. Part I sits on Tuesdays under Judge Greg B. Perry, who sets a formal, business-like tone. Part II sits Mondays and Thursdays under Judge Gerald L. Ewell Jr. Trials and preliminary hearings are held in the afternoon.

If you were cited or arrested at Bonnaroo, the festival held in Manchester every June, there is a policy you need to know. The District Attorney's office ended the old practice of letting out-of-state attendees pay a fine by mail. Everyone now has to appear in person, so an out-of-state DUI defendant has to travel back to the Manchester courthouse for arraignment and every hearing after that.

The dress code is strict and armed bailiffs enforce it at the door. You will be turned away for shorts, tank tops, halter tops, bare midriffs, sleeveless shirts, sagging clothing, or hats, and the local policy specifically requires all men to wear their shirt tucked into their pants. Being denied entry counts as a failure to appear, which brings a bench warrant and a forfeited bond. Cell phones, laptops, and recorders must be completely off and stowed; a device that rings or is used in the courtroom is confiscated and becomes county property. Vape pens and pocket knives are seized at the metal detector. Arrive at least 45 minutes before the docket call, which is at 9:00 AM or 1:30 PM, and park behind City Hall or on the Madison Street lot.

Tennessee does not allow judicial diversion for a DUI charge. The only path to keeping it off your record is a dismissal, an acquittal, or a plea down to a non-DUI offense such as reckless driving, and even that requires a Certificate of Eligibility from the TBI, which costs $75 to $130 and must be filed at least three days before court. Coffee County's Recovery Court is a separate, intensive option for serious or repeat offenders: it is post-plea, requires a sentence of at least four years and 90 days in jail before furlough to inpatient treatment, and functions as an alternative to prison, not a way to avoid a conviction.

The required 12-hour DUI school uses the Prime for Life curriculum and must be done in person. Solutions Education Center at 414 Wilson Avenue in Tullahoma, (615) 796-0817, runs the first-offender and multiple-offender classes, does the clinical alcohol assessment that decides whether you need the 12-hour class or a months-long intensive outpatient program, and hosts the state-required two-hour Victim Impact Panel.

Sources

• Coffee County Courts & Criminal Justice
• Coffee County Recovery Court