Hawkins County DUI Court Process

Misdemeanor DUI cases in Hawkins County are heard in General Sessions Court, 115 Justice Center Drive, Suite 1222 in Rogersville, before Judge J. Todd Ross. The Sessions Judge's Office is at (423) 272-3300. Court runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is also the office that processes applications for a restricted license, so if you need to keep driving to work during a suspension, the paperwork goes here for judicial approval.

Records for Sessions, Circuit, Criminal, and Juvenile court all run through one office: Circuit Court Clerk Randall L. Collier, Suite 1237, (423) 272-3397. Collier is a former Hawkins County Sheriff's Office detective and runs the clerk's office by the book. Filings that are sloppy or in the wrong place get bounced.

That matters because of the satellite office. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps a branch in Church Hill at 150 South Central, open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is convenient for routine civil business if you live on the eastern end of the county. It is the wrong place for anything DUI-related. Bond modifications, impound hearings, and restricted license applications need to go through the main Justice Center office in Rogersville to get docketed in front of the judge in time. File at the satellite office and your request can sit for days.

Security at the courthouse trips people up. Deputies screen everyone at the door, and on a full docket day the line runs outside. Mobile phones, smartwatches, and pocket knives are not allowed past the checkpoint. Get turned back to your car to drop items off, miss roll call, and the judge can issue a failure-to-appear warrant. Arrive at least 45 minutes early.

Tennessee does not offer judicial diversion for DUI. There is no path where you complete probation and the charge disappears from your record. The only ways a DUI charge does not become a DUI conviction are dismissal, acquittal at trial, or a negotiated 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.

Judge Ross championed the Hawkins County Recovery Court, part of the 3rd Judicial District's treatment court system. It is an intensive-supervision track for eligible defendants, often repeat offenders, built around frequent alcohol testing, including SCRAM monitoring, and mandatory clinical treatment. Coordinators Kathy Trent and Amy Cinnamon can be reached at (423) 272-3301 or recovery.court@hawkinscountytn.gov. Getting into this program can change the outcome of a serious or repeat charge, but it is a demanding commitment measured in months, not weeks.

Tennessee requires a licensed DUI school before reinstatement, and the state only accepts in-person instruction, a minimum of 12 hours on the Prime for Life curriculum. Online courses are not accepted. The regional provider is First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, which charges $255 for the 12-hour course. There is no FTHRA classroom in Rogersville, so Hawkins County residents drive to Greeneville, Johnson City, or Mountain City for class. Registration is in person and paid in advance at the CCI office, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and that office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. Payment is money order, cashier's check, or card only. No cash, no personal checks. A+ DUI and Defensive Driving Schools also operates in the region with more flexible scheduling.

For a court-ordered substance abuse evaluation or outpatient treatment without leaving the county, Frontier Health's Hawkins County Mental Health Center is at 101 Lena Drive in Rogersville, (423) 272-9239. It provides evaluations, outpatient care, and intensive outpatient alcohol and drug programs, including the treatment the Recovery Court requires.

The stakes on the criminal side are high enough that most people facing a DUI charge here retain counsel. You can find a DUI attorney through this site's directory.

Sources

• Hawkins County General Sessions Judge's Office
• Hawkins County Circuit Court Clerk
• First Tennessee Human Resource Agency DUI School
• Frontier Health — Hawkins County Mental Health Center