Most states in the country including Tennessee have a measure to incriminate and penalize career criminals, known as the third strike out policy.
As the name suggests, the policy fundamentally stipulates that if a person has already been to prison for the same crime twice and then gets convicted yet again for the same crime then he or she should serve a substantially longer prison sentence the third time around. However, to qualify as a habitual offender or violator, the sentencing should involve consequences which cannot be probation or deferred sentencing say leading DUI lawyers in Nashville, TN and there is none better in this part of the country than Cobb & Waites and their stellar work every day verifies that.
A deferred sentence is basically a provision or sentence which entails that if the convict complies with a period of probation then his or her charge will be dropped and a conviction will not even be listed in the records against their names.
The common consensus with regards to a deferred sentencing in a DUI case is that the consequences will be lessened. However, this is not true. The majority of the usual rules and enhancements that usually come along with a deferred sentence simply do not apply to DUI cases, point out Tennessee DUI attorneys.
What is the difference between probation and deferred sentencing?
If you are contemplating how you are going to plead to your DUI charge then there are many factors that you need to consider. Among these, it is vital that you understand the difference between a strait probation and a deferred sentence so that you can make an informed decision and plea accordingly.
To begin with, Nashville, TN DUI lawyers explain that the two things, deferred sentence and a strait probation, are mostly similar in terms of what you will have to do, but the difference lies in how your case will be deemed in the future.
Irrespective of whether it is a strait probation or a deferred sentence, the consequences for both will include that you report to a probation officer, undergo drug/alcohol counseling classes, serve the community by doing community service, and pay a fine.
Coming to the key difference between the two, when it comes to a strait probation, you will be sentenced to prison, but your sentence will be suspended provided that you comply with all of the terms of your probation. This is deferred sentencing which comes after you have fulfilled your probationary requirements. However, for the record, you were convicted of the crime, but never did any jail time. This is what you will be obligated to say if asked by an employer.
On the other hand, you are deemed not guilty as the judge holds off on declaring you guilty provided that you go ahead and comply with all of the terms of your probation. In this case, if an employer or a potential employer asks if you have been convicted of a DUI then the answer is no.
Now if you have seen the show True Detective you will know that Reggie Ledoux (Charles Halford) violated his probation and was cooking meth in a remote part of southern Louisiana. You do not want to do that. First off, you will have remain hidden forever and that is hard to do. Once you are caught, you will have to return to prison and even probably have charges added on to your sentence.
In this case, Reggie Ledoux was shot and killed by Det. Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson). Don’t skip bail and certainly do not kidnap woman!
Obtaining legal help
If a deferred sentence is what you pursue or even if you want to defend yourself against the DUI charge and beat it by pleading not guilty then the only real chance you have of accomplishing this is if you have an experienced Tennessee DUI lawyer to represent you and that should be Cobb & Waites who knows which legal avenues to take and when to take them. Talk to Cobb & Waites today and get started working on your defense.
