Dickson County DUI Court Process
Complete guide to arraignment, court dates, plea options, and what to expect during your DUIcase in Dickson County.
Court Information
Dickson County General Sessions Court
Court Process Timeline
Arraignment
First court appearance, typically within 24-48 hours after arrest.
What Happens:
- Judge reads charges against you
- You enter initial plea (usually Not Guilty)
- Bail is set or reviewed
- Next court date is scheduled
- Public defender appointed if needed
Pre-Trial Hearings
Multiple court dates over 2-6 months where your attorney negotiates with prosecutors.
Attorney Activities:
- Review police reports and evidence
- File motions to suppress evidence
- Challenge breathalyzer/blood test results
- Negotiate plea bargains
- Discuss diversion program eligibility
Plea Bargain or Trial
Most DUI cases (over 90%) resolve through plea bargaining, not trial.
Plea Bargain Benefits
- • Reduced charges
- • Lighter sentence
- • Certainty of outcome
- • Lower costs
Trial Risks
- • Maximum sentence if convicted
- • Higher legal fees
- • Uncertainty
- • Time consuming
Sentencing
Judge determines penalties based on the plea agreement or trial verdict. Sentences may include fines, probation, jail time, license suspension, IID, SCRAM monitoring, and/or DUI classes.
Top Rated Dickson County DUI Attorneys
When facing a DUI charge in Dickson County, finding local, experienced representation is critical. Below is our curated list of verified DUI defense attorneys serving Dickson County, TN.
Don't Face This Alone
A DUI attorney can make the difference between a conviction and a dismissal, between jail time and probation. They know local judges, prosecutors, and can challenge evidence that you might not even know is challengeable.
Find Dickson County DUI AttorneysFrequently Asked Questions
The 23rd Judicial District Attorney assigns a dedicated DUI prosecutor, John Stephens, to every DUI case in Dickson and Cheatham counties, in both General Sessions and Circuit Court. He knows the Highway Patrol's checkpoint and interdiction procedures and the implied-consent paperwork cold. Going in without an attorney who works these dockets is a bad trade.
DUI cases run through the Dickson County Justice Center at 500 Spring Street in Charlotte, the 70,000-square-foot building that opened in late 2020. First and second offenses start in General Sessions Court before Judge Craig Monsue. A fourth-offense or later DUI, or an appeal, goes to Circuit Court. The General Sessions clerk is at (615) 789-5414 and the Circuit clerk at (615) 789-7010. Filing hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Traffic and local-ordinance pleas are heard Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.; criminal dockets run Fridays at 9:00 a.m.
Everyone enters through one door with a metal detector and a bag check, and the line backs up badly on Friday mornings. Arrive at least 45 minutes before your docket call or you risk a failure-to-appear warrant. There is no parking garage. The basement level is for judges and law enforcement only, so use the perimeter lots or street parking around the old courthouse square, which fills fast on Fridays. Silence or power off your phone before you go in, and leave shorts, tank tops, and hats at home.
Tennessee does not allow judicial diversion for DUI. There is no path where probation ends and the charge disappears. A DUI charge only avoids becoming a DUI conviction through dismissal, acquittal, or a plea to a lesser offense such as reckless driving. A first conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 48 hours in jail, seven consecutive days if your BAC was 0.20 or higher. Repeat felony DUIs run much longer, up to 150 consecutive days at the fifth-offense level.
The 23rd Judicial District Recovery Court, presided over by Judge Suzanne Lockert-Mash, offers intensive supervision, frequent judicial reviews, counseling, and SCRAM monitoring in place of a mandatory minimum sentence for defendants with a serious addiction. The coordinator is Kevin Batts at (615) 306-6229. It is a demanding, months-long commitment, not a shortcut.
Tennessee requires a licensed DUI school before your license is reinstated, and only in-person instruction counts, a 12-hour Prime for Life course. The local provider is Main Street Interventions at 100 N. Main Street in Dickson, (615) 740-7100, which also runs the court-ordered alcohol and drug assessments used for probation and restricted-license applications.
Most people facing a DUI charge here hire local counsel who know the Justice Center's docket rules. You can find a DUI attorney through this site's directory.