Chattanooga Criminal Law Blog

DEA arrests 155 in Tennessee on meth trafficking charges

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

If you pile together enough rocks, you essentially create a mountain. That is apparently what the federal government’s Drug Enforcement Administration had in mind when they named a recent law enforcement action “Operation Crystal Mountain.” The sweeping effort involved federal agents, as well as state and local police departments in three states: Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky.

The operation that began in January was completed days ago, and resulted in the arrests of 235 people on various federal drug charges. The federal agency said it seized more than 800 pounds of crystal meth in “Operation Crystal Mountain.”

Tennessee’s “Rock Doc” faces drug dealing allegations

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drug Crimes on Thursday, August 15, 2019.

It’s about a 250-mile drive west of Chattanooga to get to Jackson, Tennessee. The city of about 65,000 is home to the so-called “Rock Doc,” a flamboyant nurse practitioner who tried to remake himself into a star. Jeffrey W. Young II was recently described by Tennessean as “a tattooed, rebellious, womanizing party animal who worked hard, played hard and lived by his own rules.”

Unfortunately for Young, it is possible that the party is over. He is currently in custody, awaiting trial on drug-trafficking charges after his April arrest.

Tennessee cop’s career threatened by DUI arrest

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

He was smiling at the time the Tennessee Highway Patrol took his mugshot, but it seems likely that the police officer who lives about three hours northeast of Chattanooga was less amused after he thought about the legal problems he faces after his arrest.

The 43-year-old Rogersville cop was charged with DUI after he apparently crashed his motorcycle and showed signs of impairment when a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer arrived.

Police arrest teens who allegedly pulled guns at Greenway Farm

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Gun Crimes on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.

A woman said the 15-year-old and 16-year-old "looked like little tiny kids." But Chattanooga police arrested the pair who allegedly pointed guns at Greenway Farm visitors. The boys are charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to a news report.

The 18-year-old woman who described the boys as "tiny kids" sent the Chattanooga Times Free Press a video clip and photo of the encounter.

Tennessee woman faces DUI charge after wrong-way interstate crash

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, July 24, 2019.

Physics is not in favor of a person in a passenger vehicle that crashes with an 18-wheeler. So when a Tennessee woman recently walked away from a wrong-way collision with a tractor-trailer on an interstate highway, she undoubtedly defied physics and all odds.

Her good luck ended there, however. The 24-year-old was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after law enforcement officers said they detected the smell of alcohol coming from her and that she then failed a sobriety test.

Neighbors rally to defense of arrested Tennessee State Trooper

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Domestic Violence on Monday, July 15, 2019.

When Chattanooga TV news reports on local arrests, they often do little more than echo what they have been told by law enforcement. We recently saw a welcome departure from one-sided approach in a report by a station about 150 miles west of Chattanooga.

WKRN aired a report on a Tennessee State Trooper who had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Rather than simply repeating the official line, the reporter actually spoke to the trooper’s neighbors. They know him and his fiancée, who live together in Lawrenceburg.

Former Tennessee cop is accused of using excessive force

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.

Before he became a police officer, Geraldo Orta was a University of Tennessee football player perhaps best known for being accused of beating up a teammate. Today, he has become known as a former cop who was fired for lying and for being accused in a federal lawsuit of using excessive force while making a drug arrest.

The 26-year-old former police officer was fired nearly a year ago for lying about whether he had responded to a burglar alarm at a bicycle store. Days ago, he was accused of using a stun gun and stomping on a man’s neck while arresting the suspect for huffing behind a store.

Chattanooga police ready for DUI drivers on the Fourth

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, July 3, 2019.

It is the holiday on which America celebrates its birthday. Across Chattanooga, July 4th is filled every year with fireworks, family, friends, picnics and patriotic symbols. Unfortunately, it is also a holiday filled with drunk driving arrests across Tennessee.

If you are planning a July 4th celebration that will include alcohol, perhaps the best way to avoid a DUI is to have a designated driver. In that way, you stay safe and out of trouble on a day meant for fun, not a ride in a Chattanooga or Hamilton County squad car.

Survey: drivers don’t think they’ll be busted for driving high

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drunk Driving on Monday, June 24, 2019.

According to a recent poll by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the vast majority of Americans think it is unlikely that drivers will get caught driving while high on weed. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they think it’s unlikely that drivers will get busted for drugged driving.

The AAA survey also found that in the past month, an estimated 14.8 million people have gotten behind the wheel within an hour of using marijuana.

Tennessee trucker faces potentially harsh DUI punishments

On behalf of Levitt & Levitt posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Everyone understands that Tennessee has some of the toughest DUI laws in the nation. If you or someone you love is facing a drunk driving charge, the best thing to do is to contact an attorney who knows the law and understands how to protect rights, driver’s licenses and freedom.

That is exactly what a Tennessee truck driver who recently made the news should do. The 39-year-old reportedly got his tractor-trailer rig stuck across several lanes of highway. When law enforcement arrived and tested him, his blood alcohol content (BAC) registered .214, a police report stated.