Classes have resumed at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which means it’s time for students to find that balance of study and fun so that they can enjoy a productive time on campus as they work toward degrees and productive careers. For some students, those goals can suddenly appear nearly impossible to achieve after they have been arrested.
All criminal charges filed against college students are serious because they put academic pursuits and career ambitions in danger of never being realized. According to a university police report on arrests, the most common accusations involve alcohol and drugs.
But according to last year’s University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, there have also been a significant number of arrests on charges that include larceny/theft, sexual offenses and assault in recent years.
For instance, the report states that there were 359 liquor violations on campus in 2015 that resulted in disciplinary action. While that total dropped to 226 a year later, it rose again in 2017 to 304. Drug violations resulting in discipline surged from 68 in 2015 to 129 in both 2016 and 2017.
In many of those cases, students faced not only discipline by the school but criminal charges as well. A DUI conviction can mean jail time, fines, mandatory counseling and loss of driving privileges. Felony drug charge convictions can result in prison, probation, fines and perhaps worst of all, a criminal record that can haunt the accused for the rest of their life.
If you or a loved one is a student accused of a crime, it’s important to act quickly to protect the future. Contact a Chattanooga attorney experienced in defending students’ rights, freedoms and aspirations.
