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Bonnaroo Drug Citations – 2022 – Manchester, Coffee County, Tennessee
1. You will not be receiving a “letter” from the court. Prior to 2015, Coffee County would issue letters to individuals who received criminal or drug related citations while attending Bonnaroo. The letter explained that by essentially paying the court cost, the case would be dismissed after 1 year provided you stayed out of trouble. That policy received criticism from some that suggested it seemed inappropriate to handle Bonnaroo cases any differently as compared to others. Starting in 2015, the District Attorney’s Office and Coffee County have elected to handle these citations the same as any other citation and not provide any different treatment to those who receive citations at Bonnaroo.
2. You must appear in court. Generally speaking, court appearance is mandatory to resolve the citation. There are a few circumstances where your court appearance may be waived, however those circumstances are limited to very specific drug cases. If you cannot make the court appearance, call our office at 615-829-8259 to discuss the possible options.
3. You will need to hire a lawyer. Representing yourself could result in increased fines, costs, trips to court and a permanent conviction that may be avoidable.
4. “Felony” Drug Citations. Every year we spent a significant amount of time explaining to people the distinction of what is purported to be a felony drug citation. Tennessee law does not permit a citation to be written for a felony offense, rather only for misdemeanors. Bonnaroo is a unique situation where for efficiency purposes, “felony” citations will be written. The district attorney does have the ability to amend the charge at the grand jury level, and make it a felony, however the reality is that as it stands at the time it is written, it is charged as a misdemeanor. The law simply does not allow felony citations. By far the majority of citations will be resolved as misdemeanors. If you were arrested and charged with a felony (which represents on average around 30 people each year), there is a greater chance your case will in fact be prosecuted as a felony.
5. For most people, there is a way to keep the charge off of your record. Contact our lawyers (email or phone) for free to inquire into your eligibility and the various ways we can help keep this charge from becoming a conviction.
6. I’m a parent and my son/daughter received a citation. I am concerned that this might have a long term impact on their lives and career.
We receive calls from parents every year and would be glad to speak with you regarding your son or daughters situation. Feel free to call our office and speak to one of our Tennessee defense attorneys at no charge.
More Information:
About Tennessee Criminal Citations
Most Common Bonnaroo Citations
Expunging your Case in Tennessee
424 Church St, Suite 2120A
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
Phone: (615) 829-8259