Criminal Defense
Arrested or charged after a stop in Arlington, Tennessee? Arlington is one of the fastest-growing towns in Shelby County, with its own police department patrolling Airline Road, Highway 70, and the I-40 corridor at Exit 25. But unlike Bartlett, Germantown, or Collierville, Arlington does not operate its own criminal court — which means an Arlington arrest puts you into a court system that sits somewhere else, on a docket you have to figure out from the paperwork. Brooks Law Firm defends DUI, drug, domestic assault, theft, and other criminal charges arising from Arlington arrests, wherever the case lands.
Charged after an Arlington stop? Call (901) 324-5000 or call/text the criminal defense line at (901) 412-2973.
Where an Arlington Case Goes
Arlington Police Department handles town ordinance and traffic enforcement locally, but state criminal charges — DUI, domestic assault, drug possession, theft — are prosecuted in the Shelby County court system. For most arrests that means General Sessions Criminal Court at 201 Poplar Avenue in downtown Memphis for the front end of the case, with felonies proceeding by preliminary hearing and grand jury to the Shelby County Criminal Courts. Arrests in and around Arlington by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office or the Tennessee Highway Patrol go into the same system. Your citation or release paperwork states the court and date; if it is unclear, we can usually tell you where you stand in one phone call.
Charges We Defend for Arlington Clients
DUI
I-40 at Exit 25 and the Highway 70 corridor through downtown Arlington see regular enforcement, especially on weekend nights. Tennessee’s DUI penalties are unforgiving — a mandatory minimum 48 hours in jail and a one-year license revocation on a first offense, and a DUI conviction can never be expunged. A DUI defense tests the basis for the stop, the field sobriety tests, and the breath or blood evidence.
Drug Charges
Drug cases under the Tennessee Drug Control Act range from simple possession to felony possession with intent, graded by schedule and quantity. Interstate 40 through Arlington is an interdiction corridor, and these cases frequently rise or fall on the legality of the stop and the search.
Domestic Assault
Domestic assault arrests carry a 12-hour mandatory hold, firearm consequences on conviction, and — like DUI — a conviction that can never be expunged. A companion order of protection is a separate civil proceeding with its own hearing and its own consequences.
Theft and Property Offenses
Theft and property offenses are graded by value under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-105. Qualifying first offenders are often eligible for diversion and expungement that keeps the charge off their record entirely.
Why Local Court Knowledge Matters
Arlington residents facing charges often assume their case will be handled nearby — and are surprised to find themselves on a downtown Memphis docket with hundreds of other cases. Knowing how 201 Poplar works, which division the case sits in, what the prosecutors in that courtroom typically offer, and when your appearance is actually required makes a practical difference. On many settings your attorney can appear, reset, or resolve matters without you taking a day off work in Arlington to drive downtown.
Other Courts We Serve
Brooks Law Firm appears throughout West Tennessee: Bartlett · Lakeland · Millington · Germantown · Collierville · Fayette County · Tipton County — or see all courts we serve and the criminal defense overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Arlington have its own criminal court?
No. Arlington does not operate its own criminal court the way Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, and Millington do. State criminal charges from Arlington arrests are handled in the Shelby County courts in Memphis. Your paperwork says which court and division; if it is unclear, call us and we will tell you.
I was stopped on I-40 near Arlington but I live out of state. Do I have to come back?
Not necessarily for every setting. On many court dates your attorney can appear, reset, or negotiate without you present, which matters when you are hours away. When your appearance is required, you will know in advance and why.
Can an Arlington charge be expunged?
Many can, through dismissal or judicial diversion for qualifying first offenders. DUI and domestic assault convictions are the exceptions — Tennessee law never allows them to be expunged, which is why those charges warrant a full defense from the start.
Brooks Law Firm defends criminal charges for Arlington residents and drivers in the Shelby County courts. Call (901) 324-5000 or call/text (901) 412-2973. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.