Robertson County DUI Court Process

DUI cases in Robertson County are heard in General Sessions Court at 531 South Brown Street in Springfield, clerk (615) 384-4684, filing hours 8:00 to 4:30 on weekdays. Judge Joel W. Perry runs the criminal docket, and his courtroom is formal to a degree that catches unprepared people off guard.

The dress code is enforced and it is broad. Barred from the courtroom: sagging pants, shorts, halter tops, see-through blouses, exposed midriffs, torn clothing, shirts with offensive language, untucked shirts, mini-skirts, and hats. Show up dressed wrong and you are turned away at the door, which counts as failing to appear. No eating, drinking, gum, or talking once you are inside.

Phones must be completely silenced under the local rules, and in practice you are better off leaving the phone in your car. A phone that rings during a hearing is confiscated on the spot or draws a contempt citation. Arrive at least 45 minutes before your docket call, because security screening backs up during the busy morning sessions and the bench does not forgive lateness.

There is a real advantage to matching the room's formality. Judge Perry pays close attention to how defendants and attorneys carry themselves, down to standing when addressing the court and never using first names. A defendant who sits silent, dresses in business clothes, and shows genuine respect starts from a better position before the facts of the DUI are even argued.

The preliminary hearing is where a defense attorney earns their fee. It forces the state to show probable cause, and it puts the arresting trooper or deputy under oath early, on the record, where their account of the stop and the field sobriety tests gets locked in before the case moves to the grand jury or Circuit Court.

Robertson County runs a Recovery Court for people whose DUI is tied to a substance use disorder, coordinated by Megan Williamson and Kecia Harris on the third floor of the South Brown Street complex. Finishing the program can lead the District Attorney to reduce or dismiss the charges, though that is discretionary.

The required 12-hour DUI school uses the Prime for Life curriculum, in person only, no online version accepted in Tennessee. Locally it is run by Workforce Essentials at 299 10th Avenue East in Springfield, (615) 384-1097, weekdays 8:00 to 4:30. If the court also orders a MADD Victim Impact Panel, that one does have a state-approved online option at online.maddvip.org.

Sources

• Judge Joel W. Perry — Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts