DUI First Offender Sentenced to Serve Twenty Days
DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the DUI Unit obtained a sentence, including twenty days in jail, for a DUI First Offender who was stopped for drunk driving on Cumberland Avenue after driving erratically, endangering other motorists, and pouring an alcoholic beverage out of his car window. Eric Alexander Minor, 52, was convicted of Driving Under the Influence, Failure to Maintain Lane, and Driving without a License. Senior Judge Kelly Thomas sentenced Minor to eleven months and twenty-nine days with twenty days to serve in jail.
In a two-day trial in July, Assistant District Attorneys Mitch Eisenberg and Teddy Ryan explained to the jury that on April 17, 2022, University of Tennessee Police Department Officer Christian Colby stopped a vehicle on Cumberland Avenue near Eleventh Street for failing to maintain its lane. Officers also observed the driver, Minor, dump out a red Solo cup prior to the traffic stop. Minor had slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet, and smelled like alcohol. After first saying he had not been drinking, he later admitted to consuming one drink. He later admitted to drinking two beverages. Two red Solo cups that smelled like whiskey were found in Minor’s vehicle. Minor was unable to follow directions, refused to perform field sobriety tests, and refused to submit to a blood draw to determine his blood alcohol content. Despite his refusals, Minor was convicted of DUI.
“Proactive DUI enforcement like what occurred in this case prevents accidents and injuries from occurring,” said DA Allen.
The mandatory minimum for a DUI 1st Offense is forty-eight hours in jail, DUI School, a $350 fine, and a license revocation of one year. At the sentencing hearing today, prosecutors asked for additional jail time above the minimum to serve as a deterrent for future impaired driving. Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Brittany Wilhelmson aided in the prosecution of this case.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.