David Ridings | Nashville Criminal Defense Lawyer

He began his higher education at Middle Tennessee State University in 1983. After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration, Mr. Ridings began his career in law enforcement with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, working as an intern in Governor’s Task Force on Marijuana Eradication in 1987. Following that, he began working for the Murfreesboro Police Department in Rutherford County, Tennessee, while continuing his education at Middle Tennessee State University in his quest for a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration.

Client was originally the passenger of a car driven by wife. Client's 8-year-old son was in the back seat. Dad is also drinking a bottle of whiskey while in the passenger seat. Wife parks and goes inside the grocery store, leaving Dad and son in the car. The son tells dad he sees two men approaching with guns.... the same men that accosted them the day before. Dad jumps in driver's seat and takes off. He runs the red light and crashes into another car. Blows .16% BAC on a breath test. Was involved in an accident while intoxicated ... with his minor son in the car. Dad admits to drinking the half empty bottle of whiskey found in car. He also admits to being too drunk to drive and running the red light. Bad facts? Most of the time, yes. But Dad maintained that his life depended on it. Bench Trial in front of a General Sessions Judge as the trier of fact. Verdict: Not Guilty, based upon the defense of ""Necessity"". The Judge found that the defendant did not ""intend"" to drive while intoxicated due to the overwhelming danger which forced him into the driver's seat. The ""necessity"" of escaping imminent death, outweighed the danger in driving, and negated ""intent"".

From a card table and a folding chair… one case at a time. My former police officer experience was crucial, and even today is why most people call me for representation. So, real street cop experience often carries the day. That… and the making of vital relationships over the years has proven to be quite helpful to my clients.

Accessibility. First and foremost, your attorney should be accessible. If your lawyer will not return your calls, find another lawyer. He or she is either over-worked and without the time necessary to give you the attention you need and deserve… or he/she is lazy. Either way, you don't want that. And you should demand more. You should also find someone who has aggressive work ethic, and one who has made good relationships with the District Attorney's Office and the Judges.

It is the foundation of a good defense. Knowing the Judges and/or the District Attorney is the most important part of successfully defending a case. In some cases, relationships and personalities can be more important than the law.

Basically, not much to be honest. The rules that govern attorney conduct says that we cannot give "legal advice" to a "non-client". What that means is we cannot advise you what to do in your case. But what we can do is provide you a general overview of the system you are facing, a detailed look at my past experience with cases like that, and an outline of the cost you may face when hiring an attorney in that particular matter. I can also tell a potential client what areas of the case I would look at to find issues that could help defend them. And, I can give a pretty good look at how the case would be handled from start to finish. That said, I always advise the potential client to interview at least three (3) attorneys in their search. That way they get to see what kind of experience is out there, and generally if they "click" with a certain attorney. So, while phone consults can be generally educational… nothing beats a face-to-face office visit.

Particularly the ""full"" name and date of birth of the accused, the county in which they are charged… and the court they are in. (ie General Sessions, or Criminal Court). Plus, the prior criminal history is important to know at this stage. After that, the questions get more specific depending upon the facts of the case, and the charges.

Hands down my experience. For the past 33+ years, I have dedicated my entire adult career to Criminal Justice on one side or the other. I have spent nearly 10 years as a police officer, graduated from two different police academy classes, worked a year at the Davidson County District Attorney's Office during my last year of law school, and spent over 21+ years as a criminal and DUI defense lawyer. While I learned a great deal of the law at Law School… the majority of my education was from the street. While I was working as a police officer I learned many things. But, mostly, I learned when, where, and why police officers make mistakes. I use that experience to find the mistakes made in the cases against my clients, which puts them in a superior position to either suppress evidence and defend them in front of a Judge or Jury, or negotiate a better deal for them with the District Attorney's office.

Helping people during, what is usually described as the most stressful time of their lives. Nothing feels better than winning, of course. But, ""winning"" in this business can be defined in many different ways. At the end of the day, I truly believe that God has me in this line of work for a reason. I believe He has called me to be a beacon of light in a dark place, and to give people hope. That is always my goal, anyway.

I love to hunt. So, from about late October to early January, you would most likely find me in a tree somewhere. But I also love spending time with my wife (the greatest thing that ever happened to me). Since our five children have grown, we spend a lot of time traveling to spiritual conferences, and just enjoying life.

The majority of our community involvement is at Cornerstone Church in Madison. We have been members there for over 20 years. We spent over 10 years on the Youth staff, and now serve on the Guest Experience Team. We also serve as life-group leaders, hosting a group at our home every week, and I serve on the Board of Directors. Cornerstone has proven to be one of the most involved churches with the community, and has recently been chosen by city leaders, including the Mayor of Nashville to host the City Serve days in the near future. We are in the beginning stages of this project, but expect it to be a great way to serve the City of Nashville in 2019.

• Cornerstone Church | Board of Directors | 2016 - Present
  DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA) | Member | 2014 - Present
  American Institue of DUI/DWI Attorneys | Award Recipient | 2014 - Present
  National Advocacy for DUI Defense | Award Recipient | 2013 - Present
  National College of DUI Defense | Member | 2011 - Present

• Peer Review Rated | Martindale-Hubbell | 2016
  Client Choice Award AVVO | Client Choice Award AVVO | 2015
  Nationally Ranked Top Ten Attorneys Award | National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys | 2015
  Client Satisfaction Award 2014 | American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys | 2014
  Client's Choice Award 2013 | Avvo | 2013

• Our Case Results
  DUI

  Case Dismissed Client arrested for DUI. He pulled off of the road and parked in a field, took his medications, which included sleeping medication and narcotics, and went to sleep in the back seat. At some point during the night, he got cold, and got in the driver’s seat to start the engine (and heater). He fell asleep there, and hours later someone called the police on him and they arrived to find him asleep at the wheel, with the engine running. He did, earlier in the night, put the sunshield in the windshield to block the sun as he slept... and that (coupled with the fact that he was in a 'field' and not on a roadway "where others frequent or are likely to be found") saved him. I represented the client and went to the scene to take pictures of where he was parked... presented those to the DA, and explained the situation. Officer was could not "remember" if the sunshield was up or not... but truthfully said "it could have been". The DA agreed to totally dismiss the entire case.

• Nashville DUI Lawyer Blog | Nashville DUI Lawyer Blog | 2014
  Nashville Criminal Lawyer Blog | Nashville Criminal Lawyer Blog | 2014
  Nashville Criminal Attorney Blog | Nashville Criminal Attorney Blog | 2014
  Ridings Law Office Blog | Ridings Law Office Blog | 2014

 Calls Answered 24/7, feel free to reach out anytime for assistance!

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