Knoxville DUI & Criminal Defense Attorneys

Vehicular Homicide by Intoxication - Dismissed & Acquitted of Intoxication Count at Trial

After our client was involved in a tragic accident in which another driver died the State indicted him for Vehicular Homicide by Intoxication. The State had 2 experts testify that our client’s blood levels were extremely high for Oxymorphone and Xanax causing the accident. After a hard fought trial in which multiple expert witnesses were called the jury concluded intoxication was not the cause of the accident and death and convicted only on lesser counts saving significant potential years in prison.

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DUI with .182 BAC and Accident - Reduced to Reckless Driving

Our client was alleged to have red, watery and bloodshot eyes, thick, mumbled and slurred speech, a strong odor of alcohol, unsteadiness on his feet, failed field sobriety tests, admitted to consuming 3 tequila shots about 30 minutes before the car wreck and his breath sample yielded a .182. After reviewing the body camera footage and preparing the case for a hearing we were able to negotiate a reduction to a reckless driving with no jail time or loss of license.

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Felony Drug (Schedule VI) Cultivation - Dismissed

Our client was charged with growing marijuana for resale when an officer came to his home and entered without a warrant. After getting the body cams and seeing what happened we believe the officer searched the client’s home and seized plants in violation of our client’s 4th Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable seraches and seizures without a warrant. Ultimately all charges were dismissed.

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Felony Aggravated (Domestic) Assault - Dismissed before trial

Our client was charged with aggravated assault. After having a preliminary hearing, the State offered to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor domestic assault. We set the case for trial and weeks before trial the State offered to dismiss the entire case against our client.

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DUI with .108 BAC and Simple Possession - Dismissed after Motion to Suppress Granted

We identified what we believed to be an illegal stop of our client's vehicle and took this case to a preliminary hearing where Mr. Fersten cross examined the officer, brought out the facts that would support or motion to suppress and at the end of the hearing argued that our client's 4th Amendment rights were violated by the stop, thus invalidating the arrest. The Judge agreed and the case was dismissed.

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DUI 2nd - Dismissed

After preparing our client's case for a preliminary hearing and a motion to dismiss for deficiencies in the arrest warrant, we argued that the charging document was invalid and therefore our client should have never been arrested. Ultimately, we got the case dismissed allowing our client to avoid the mandatory 45 days in jail and she got to maintain her driving privileges.

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Meet Our Team

Brandon Fersten

Owner

Brandon provides exceptional legal advice and legal services to our DUI, criminal defense and juvenile defense clients.

Oscar Butler

Associate Attorney

Oscar Butler began with Barnes & Fersten in 2023, following a 4 year career as an ADA

Andrew O’Donnell

Associate Attorney

Lauren Bledsoe

Office Manager

Lauren is the one who most likely answers your call to ensure that your needs are being met.

Tim Marohn

Intake Coordinator

As the intake coordinator, Tim is responsible for making sure that the client experience is top-notch.

Emily Smith

Law Clerk

Why Choose Barnes & Fersten

We are friendly, patient, respectful, hardworking, empathetic, and relatable, which allows clients to feel more comfortable in the process and reduces the stress of dealing with the court system and attorneys.
We defend cases with every tool available to us, including trials, hearings, filing motions to dismiss and suppress evidence, and retaining experts on your behalf, rather than trying to reach the quickest and easiest plea agreement like many attorneys.
We offer payment plans and financing because we do not want your financial situation to prevent you from receiving the highest quality criminal defense that you deserve to avoid the real-life and serious consequences of the allegations against you.
Our entire team of attorneys and staff represent you. This means when you hire Barnes & Fersten you are hiring multiple of our attorneys, rather than just 1 attorney, to review all the State’s evidence such as dash and/or body camera footage, discussing the legal defenses applicable to your case and perfecting your legal strategy to guide how we defend your case.
We focus our practice entirely on defending criminal cases. We do not dabble in family law, car wrecks or real estate so that we can develop a comprehensive defense strategy in DUI, criminal defense and juvenile defense cases.
We provide you with a professional service with a personal approach because we understand that everyone’s case is different. You are more than just a mugshot of someone who was arrested but a person with real-life experiences and real-life effects of a conviction potentially on your family, job, and even your living situation that cannot be ignored.
We will do everything possible for our clients to either get your case dismissed or negotiate a favorable plea agreement that mitigates the consequences of your actions to minimize the long-term effects of the allegations against you.
Click here to read more about what separates us from other DUI and criminal defense law firms in Knoxville and East Tennessee

Attorney John Barnes and Attorney Brandon D. Fersten shaking hands in office

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Attorney John Barnes and Attorney Brandon D. Fersten standing outside in front of Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Attorney John Barnes and Attorney Brandon D. Fersten standing inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Attorney John Barnes and Attorney Brandon D. Fersten taking notes in office

What Our Clients Say

Brandon was amazing throughout the entire process. I was losing faith and wanted to give up but Brandon kept encouraging me and fought really hard on my behalf, his hard work and dedication to my case got my DUI 1st offense charge downgraded to Reckless driving. I will forever be thankful for what he did for me. Thanks Brandon!!

Barnes & Fersten are some phenomenal people! Brandon was my attorney and he did amazing work! He was very professional, kind, and knowledgeable in his field! He came in and did everything he said he would and I walked out with best case scenario for my case! I would recommend Brandon for anyone that needs attorney services. Brandon was very communicative with me through everything as I live 3 hours away from him and the court we went too. I was never kept in the dark and I was 100% satisfied with everything he did for me. Thank you Brandon

All these previous 5 star reviews are truthful. I retained this law firm for a very serious potential felony juvenile case. Brandon represented our child, took the time to answer any and all questions we had, and provide us legal advice that went above and beyond his retainer. He truly wanted what was best for our child and to represent our child to the best of his ability. Lauren, who is the office manager is very kind, responsive, and takes her time to listen and answer any questions or concerns. Both Brandon and Lauren working together made us feel at ease through the stressful process. They will truly be missed as I feel they are an extension of our family. I recommend Brandon to represent your child in any juvenile criminal case. Call their office and speak to Lauren, you will quickly feel like a valued potential client. Our case was resolved with a very positive outcome for our child.

I could not be any happier on the outcome or hiring them to represent me in my case. They were great and worked with me every step of the way. Brandon was phenomenal in court. John was awesome and Lauren always answered any and all questions I had promptly. Just a great firm with great people! Extremely pleased all around.

Absolutely top class, Brandon and Lauren were brilliant and helped me every step of the way. They answered all questions promptly and were extremely personable when I dealt with them face to face. I would 100 percent recommend them to everyone

I got a DUI charge against me in Loudon County. I went to Barnes Law Firm, and I was assured that we would most likely get it reduced. In the end, the DUI was dropped, no court cost, expunged from my record as well! I hugged the lawyer I was so happy with the result. They are worth every single penny! Highly recommend you to use them for all your legal needs!

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Barnes & Fersten PLLC was founded with you, our future client, as the focal point. We work hard every day to deliver each client a high-quality, personalized and aggressive representation.

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Knoxville DUI & Criminal Defense Attorneys

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Meet Our Team

Brandon Fersten

Owner

Oscar Butler

Associate Attorney

Andrew O’Donnell

Associate Attorney

Lauren Bledsoe

Office Manager

Tim Marohn

Intake Coordinator

Emily Smith

Law Clerk

Why Choose Barnes & Fersten

What Our Clients Say

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