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Shop Safely This Holiday Season

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Thanksgiving has come and gone and that means everyone can officially begin their Christmas preparations. While this means it is time for a whole lot of decorating, it also means it is time to get the final bits of Christmas shopping done.

While this should be a fun and happy time, there are unfortunately people out there looking to take advantage of holiday shoppers. Anyone looking to do a bit of shopping this holiday season needs to be careful in order to avoid becoming a victim of a crime so close to Christmas.

Shopping Safety Tips

While most people love this time of year for all sorts of reason from the weather to getting to spend time with family, thieves have different reasons for enjoying the holiday rush. They love the crowded stores and malls because that provides them with plenty of targets and enough chaos to cover their tracks. That is in addition to the shorter days which provide a lot of darkness for them to lurk in. In order to become a more difficult target and avoid being robbed or attacked while shopping, try following these tips.

  • Always lock doors and roll up windows on cars before going into stores.
  • Avoid talking to strangers. Some con-artists work in groups, one distracts the target while the other strikes.
  • Be aware of surroundings as walking to cars. Thieves like to hide behind larger vehicles, or even under your car.
  • Don’t carry too many bags at once, as this makes a person vulnerable.
  • Don’t dress in fancy or attention grabbing clothes while shopping. This can grab a thief’s attention and attract them to you.
  • Have your keys in your hands and ready to unlock your car before leaving the store. This way there is no fumbling to pull them out at the car itself, which makes a person vulnerable.
  • Hide any presents or other expensive items in the trunk so that lurking thieves cannot see them in the car.
  • If you don’t feel comfortable walking to your car, especially at night, ask a security guard or other store employee for an escort.
  • Park in safe areas, preferably under street lights to increase visibility at night. Also try parking close to the storefront to reduce the amount of time spent walking to a car. Avoid parking next to large trucks and vans.
  • Stay alert to what is going on around you.
  • When shopping in the evening or night, always bring a companion with you. There is safety in numbers.
  • Women should not carry purses with them, as these are easier targets for pickpockets. Try to stick to carrying only a single credit/debit card while shopping. This way, no cash can be stolen and only one card has to be canceled if taken.

Online Shopping Safety Tips

With advances in technology, online shopping has become a very large part of the holiday experience. Since online shopping has become so huge, crooks have begun to take advantage of it. In order to avoid falling victim to these people, follow these tips:

  • Avoid using public Wi-Fi in general, but never use it when shopping or banking online.
  • Before filling out private information on an online form, investigate the company/website to ensure that it is trustworthy.
  • If you have fallen victim to an online scam, be sure to close the associated credit card immediately.
  • Learn to spot and avoid email and social media scams, which become more prominent this time of year.
  • Never give out social security numbers online. No online store will ever need that information.
  • Never click on links from unknown sources.
  • Only go to trusted websites by entering the address in the address bar. Avoid clicking links because scammers love to make fake links that lead to their own sites.
  • Only shop on trusted websites, preferably with “https” in front of the address. The “s” signifies that the website is secure, thus making it more trustworthy. Most modern browsers now display a padlock symbol in the address bar next to secure sites.

Don’t Fall Victim to Crooks

As Christmas draws nearer, more and more people go shopping for gifts for their loved ones. Unfortunately, there are thousands of crooks and other horrible people out there looking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.

So long as a person follows the tips above, they should be able to reduce the chances of getting scammed or robbed this holiday season. Do you have any tips that didn’t make the list above? If so, share them in the comments down below and help out others.

Should Phones Be Taken Away from Kids?

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All parents know of the age-old punishment of taking something from a child to teach them to behave better. It used to be a toy or TV privileges. In today’s modern world, the most common form of punishment is to take away the kid’s smartphone. The very quickly alerts the child to the fact that they messed up in a big way. However, it can have some unfortunate side effects that the parent may not be aware of.

The first, most notable side effect, is that there will be a loss of communication. If a parent takes their child’s phone away, then they lose the ability to talk to him or her whenever they need to. It is not unheard of for parents to get mad at their kids for not responding to texts, only to be reminded that the kid doesn’t have the phone right now.

Another side effect of taking away a kid’s phone is it can make doing homework more difficult. Learning has changed a lot in the last few years. Now, kids have access to the entire internet in their pockets. They can use their phones for research, and to stay connected with classmates for group projects. If they don’t have their phone, they may struggle with certain aspects of their school life unless they are given a proper alternative.

Many experts believe that phones should only be taken away from kids when the phone was the actual cause of the problem. Kids learn better from punishments that are naturally related to the problem at hand. Experts also believe that the best way to deal with bad phone habits is to stop them before they happen. This means establishing rules and time limits for phone usage before certain behaviors become problematic.

An option that some parents may not be aware of are apps that give parents control of their child’s phone, such as Verizon’s Smart Family app. Apps such as these let parents monitor how their child uses the phone, and control what apps can be used. With an app like this, parents can disable games, social media, or even internet access on a device from their own phone. This presents a way for a parent to remove certain privileges without the side effect of getting rid of the communication aspect of the phone.

Statutory Rape Laws and Charges

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What is Statutory Rape?

Strictly speaking, statutory rape has nothing to do about sexual consent. In statutory rape cases, both parties are usually willing. These cases aren’t about the willingness of both partners but whether they’re able to cope with the emotional and physical ramifications that go hand in hand with a sexual relationship.

According to the law, statutory rape takes place when someone has sex with a minor, who is otherwise referred to as a person who hasn’t reached the age of consent.

Is it Possible for a Minor to be Charged with Statutory Rape?

The question of whether it’s possible for two minors to be accused of statutory rape doesn’t have a clear legal answer.

According to Tennessee Penal Code Section 261.5, statutory rape takes place whenever someone has sex with someone who hasn’t reached their eighteenth birthday. According to that, if a sixteen-year-old couple decides to have sex, both of them can be charged with statutory rape.

The problem is that for the charges to stick, the court has to determine which member of the couple is the victim and which is the aggressor, something that’s nearly impossible to do when both are minors. Due to the legal complexities of the situation, the charges are usually dropped and the court lets the parents decide how to handle the matter.

Penalties for Statutory Rape in Tennessee

Statutory rape charges in Tennessee are a serious matter. Statutory rape is one of the state’s many famous wobbler offenses. No two cases are handled the same way, which can make it difficult to guess what the final results will be. The most extreme cases can result in a sentence that includes 3 years in jail as well as a $10,000 fine.

Sometimes the court requires that the defendant register as a sex offender, but there are also situations where that hasn’t happened. It largely depends on the age of the two people involved in the case as well as the type of relationship they’re engaged in.

The best way to make sure you never have to unravel the complexities of statutory rape is by making sure your sexual partner is always over 18 years old.

The Long-Lasting Consequences of Drunk Driving in Tennessee

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Like all other states, Tennessee has taken a hard stance on drunk driving. It isn’t tolerated. If you’re caught behind the wheel after having just a little too much to drink, you’ll face steep consequences that will have a major impact on the overall quality of your life.

Tennessee’s Legal Limit

Tennessee has different legal limits for different types of drivers. For the average, adult driver in Tennessee, anything over a blood alcohol count (BAC) of 0.08% is considered too high to legally drive. Drivers who haven’t reached their 21st birthday, anything over 0.05% is considered a DUI. Commercial drivers as well as drivers who are involved with a ride-share program aren’t allowed to get behind the wheel if their BAC is above 0.04%

If you are pulled over and the officer believes you’ve been drinking, they’ll likely administer a breath test that measures your BAC. If the BAC is considered close, but not quite at the legal limit, it’s likely you’ll still be arrested. The reason for this is because it can take a little time for the true BAC to be accurate. You’ll receive a second test at the jail. By this point, the BAC level will be accurate. If it’s above the legal limit, the officer will go through with the arrest. Both of the BAC tests are admissible in court. In many cases, the first test is a breath test and the second test is taken via a blood draw.

Penalties of Driving Drunk in Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers aren’t playing around when it comes to drunk drivers. The penalties are steep and were designed to scare people into only getting behind the wheel while they’re sober. The penalties become more severe each time you’re charged with a DUI.

First Offense

The first time you’re caught driving while under the influence, the maximum amount of time you can spend in county jail is six months. You’ll also be charged fines that will range from $390-$1,000. Your license will be suspended and you won’t be able to drive for up to six months. Your ignition can be locked for 6 months to one full year, and you’ll only be allowed to drive on a restricted license during that time.

Second Offense

The second DUI charge means a minimum of 92 hours and a maximum of 1 full year in a county jail. The court can charge you fines that range from $390-$1,000. You can lose your license for a full two years, making it difficult to work, especially if you live in a rural area. After you get a restricted license, the court can limit your driving with an ignition lock that will remain on your vehicle for up to one year.

Third Offense

The third time you’re found guilty of DUI charges, you’ll be sentenced to as little as 120 days or as long as one year in jail. You’ll get charged at least $1,800 in fines. You’ll also lose your license for 3 years and potentially have an ignition lock installed on your vehicle for an additional 2 years.

Tennessee lawmakers have arranged things so that each DUI conviction remains on your record for a full 10 years.

In addition to actual DUI penalties, if you were in an accident while driving drunk, you will also face any charges that were incurred during the accident. This can include minor traffic offenses or vehicular manslaughter.

Medications Can Mess up Your Life

There are several medications that can play havoc on your body when you mix them with alcohol. The problem with many medications, even some over-the-counter allergy medications is that they alter the way your body absorbs alcohol. This means that if you go to the bar and have your normal amount of alcohol, and the amount that in most cases allows you to legally drive home, the medication could have created a significantly higher blood alcohol level and you’ll be arrested for DUI. Several people have had their lives destroyed because they didn’t realize how badly the medication and alcohol would react.

If you’re on medication, it’s in your best interest to not get behind the wheel if you have accidentally mixed the alcohol and the medication. Call a friend, get a room, hire a taxi. Do anything other than getting in your car.

Bailing Someone out Today Wasn’t a Part of the Plan

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Bailing someone out of jail is never something that people plan on doing. Unfortunately, it is just something that is thrust into their arms. They find out that a friend or family member has been arrested and they want to help out. However, they have no idea how to really do so since they never planned on needing bail before.

This is where Memphis Bail Bonds comes into play. We understand how stressful bailing someone out of jail can be, so we try to make it easier for our clients. Not only do we make bail easy for our clients, but we make it affordable as well. This way, our clients can rescue their loved ones from jail whether or not they were planning on doing so when they woke up that morning.

We make bail easy just by being there for our clients. Our agents can be reached all day, every day. They will be more than happy to answer a client’s questions and guide him or her through the entire bail bond process. Our clients never have to face bail alone. Just knowing that someone is there can make dealing with anything, even bail, easier.

On top of that, we also make bail cheaper. For starters, our bail bonds only cost 10% of the bail that they are for. So, if someone’s bail is set at $20,000, then their bail bond from us will only cost $2,000. We also provide every client with personalized payments plans, and qualified clients can earn discounts to help reduce the cost of the bail bond even further.

People often don’t plan on bailing someone out of jail when they wake up in the morning. However, they also didn’t plan on a loved one getting arrested. Luckily, something like this can easily be fixed by contacting Memphis Bail Bonds. Our agents will happily help their clients rescue someone from jail, they will provide all of the following:

  • 24/7 Bail bond service
  • 20% Discount
  • Phone approvals
  • 0% Interest payment plans
  • No hidden fees
  • No collateral with working signer
  • Se habla Espanol

Are you ready to begin bailing out your loved one? If so, you can talk to a bail agent for free by calling (615) 544-0000 or by clicking Chat With Us now.

It Is Never Okay to Drink and Drive

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If you were to ask anyone if driving while drunk was a safe thing to do, they would tell you it is a very dangerous thing to do. In 2017, 29% of all driving fatalities were caused by drunk drivers. This amounted to nearly 11,000 deaths that could have easily been prevented. With all the advances in technology, getting a safe ride home has never been easier. There is never a reason to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk.

Drunk driving is illegal in every single state in the US due to how dangerous it is. Getting caught while driving under the influence carries heavy penalties, especially for repeat offenders. The laws and penalties vary by state. Here in Tennessee, the state has several different laws surrounding the act of driving under the influence (DUI).

Penalties of DUI

All Tennessee laws surrounding DUI basically state that a person should never get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. What changes through these various laws is the exact circumstances. If a person is simply caught driving while intoxicated, they will face consequences under Vehicle Code (VC) 23152. If they cause injury to someone else, then they will face charges under VC 23153.
A person can even get into trouble for refusing to provide a breath or blood sample to an officer during a traffic stop. This can be charged under VC 23612.

The penalties for committing DUI vary depending on the crime itself and the driving record of the driver in question. The typical consequences for DUI can include:

  • Informal probation.
  • Max 6 month jail sentence for first offense/ Max 1 year for repeat offenders.
  • Base fines of $390 to $1,000.
  • Suspended or revoked driver’s license.
  • DUI school.
  • Community service.
  • Requirement to attend AA meetings.
  • Vehicle being impounded.
  • Instillation of breathalyzer ignition device on vehicle.
  • Victim restitution’s if someone was hurt.

Generally, DUI’s are misdemeanor offenses, unless:

  • Someone was seriously hurt.
  • Someone was killed.
  • This is the driver’s fourth DUI in a 10 year period.
  • This is the driver’s third DUI that harmed someone in a 10 year period.
  • The driver has a prior felony DUI in a 10 year period.

Felony DUI convictions can come with the already mentioned penalties, as well as these increased penalties:

  • Formal probation.
  • Prison sentences, which vary from case to case.
  • Base fines between $390 and $5,000.

DUI for Professional Drivers

The fact that DUI laws apply to all drivers is a given. However, what some people may not know is that this law applies differently to drivers who are for-hire. A for-hire driver being someone who drives a vehicle such as a taxi, bus, Lyft, or Uber.

Normally, drivers are only considered intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%. However, for-hire drivers are only allowed to have a BAC of 0.04%. If a for-hire driver is caught driving with that level of BAC or hire, they will face DUI charges, which would likely mean a suspension of their driver’s license.

The Dangers of Hungover Driving

Something else that many drivers are not aware of is the fact that driving while hungover can be just as bad as driving while drunk. This fact was discovered by researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Participants of the study had 10 drinks, slept off the alcohol until their BAC was 0%.

The results showed that the drivers were roughly as impaired, if not more so, than a driver with a BAC of 0.05%. The drivers were more prone to speeding, struggled to drive straight, and just generally made more errors.

This is likely due to the results of being dehydrated, having low blood sugar, and not getting enough sleep the night before.

There Is No Reason to Drive Drunk

Driving while intoxicated is never a good idea. Not only is it against the law, it is incredibly dangerous. Drunk driving is the cause of thousands of accidents and deaths every single year in the US alone.

In today’s modern age, there is no reason for any of this. With smartphones, people now have the ability get a safe ride literally in the palm of their hand. A person can easily contact a loved one to come pick them up, or hire a driver of a taxi, Lyft, or Uber. Doing this has never been easier than it is right now. A person can easily save themselves and the lives of people they’ve never met by simply pulling out their phone before ever setting foot in a vehicle.

Driving with Pets Can Be Distracting

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Just about everyone knows that driving while distracted can be a very dangerous practice. One second of not paying attention is all it takes for a driver to find himself in a bad accident. That is why a driver needs to constantly give their full attention to the road while driving.

In order to encourage drivers to remain focused, lawmakers usually enact laws that limit what drivers can do while driving. Some of the basics here in Tennessee include:

  • No texting while driving.
  • No talking on the phone while driving.
  • No using other electronic devices while driving.

Tennessee laws don’t cover all of the bases when it comes to distracted driving. For instance, eating while driving is not illegal in Tennessee, though it is considered to be a type of distracted driving. An Ohio town is taking distracted driving laws a step further in order to protect drivers and their furry companions.

Starting December 20th, drivers in Mantua, Ohio can be ticketed for distracted driving if they have an animal in their lap. The offense will only be a misdemeanor, which means a small fine and no possibility of jail time. However, any ticket price will be more than a driving pet owner really wants to pay.

Distracted driving is not something that any driver should do. Unfortunately, driving with a pet can be very distracting. For their safety, and the safety of the driver, the pet should remain in another section of the vehicle, away from the driver. This way, they cannot interfere with the driver’s task and inadvertently cause an accident.

Can Minors Drink in Tennessee?

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As holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s roll around, there are plenty of parties to attend. Families get together to catch up and reflect on the passing year. These parties are full of fun, and typically, full of drinking. As long as there is no driving after the drinking, this is no problem for adults. After all, they can drink whenever they like.

However, problems can arise when the kids, especially teens, see all of the adults drinking. The fact that teens want to grow up sooner rather than later is no secret. One of their favorite requests is to join their parents and other adult relatives in drinking.

Some parents are fine with this request. They see no problem with it since the teen is in a safe and controlled environment surrounded by trusted adults. However, this is a problem in the State of Tennessee. If a parent or guardian is not careful, they could wind up in trouble with the law.

The Law in Tennessee

Here in Tennessee, and the rest of the United States, the legal age for a person to begin consuming alcohol is 21. Anyone under the age of 21 who consumes alcohol is breaking the law. The state of Tennessee makes it a crime to give or sell alcohol to a minor with Business and Professions Code 25658.

Under Business and Professions Code 25658, selling or furnishing alcohol to a minor is a misdemeanor offense. The law can apply to anyone who gives alcohol to a minor, or any minor who gets access to alcohol through the use of a fake ID.

What many people do not realize, is that this law applies to anyone who gives alcohol to a minor. This includes parents or guardians of the minor in question. If a minor is found to have a blood alcohol concentration of (BAC) 0.05% or greater, then the parent could face misdemeanor charges.

The Penalties

In Tennessee, parents who are found guilty of providing their child, who is a minor, with alcohol face misdemeanor charges. This means that they can face:

  • Up to 1 year in county jail.
  • A max fine of $1,000.
  • Some combination of fine and jail time.

These penalties are just slightly better than what a random person would face for breaking Business and Professions Code 25658. In addition to the above penalties, a person breaking this law would also be required to complete at least 24 hours of community service. If the person knowingly sold alcohol to a minor they, or the business, can lose their license to sell alcohol.

If someone under the age of 21 purchases or consumes alcohol on their own, they will face:

  • A $250 fine.
  • 24 to 32 hours of community service.
  • A 1 year suspension of their driver’s license, or a 1 year delay on being able to obtain their license.
  • Subsequent offenses lead to increased penalties for the minor in question.

Keep the Holidays Safe

While kids, especially teens, are always excited to grow up in a hurry, there are some things that should wait. Consuming alcohol is definitely one of those things. Not only is it not a great idea to allow a minor to consume alcohol, it can also get an adult into legal trouble. Even if the adult in question is the parent or guardian.

If a person wants to stay out of trouble this holiday season, then they need to drink responsibly. This means knowing their limits, having a designated driver (DD), and not allowing minors to consume alcohol. So long as a person does that, they can close out the year with loved ones and not behind bars.

The Dangers of Online Gaming

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Internet safety is always a big concern, especially for parents. You never know who your kids might be meeting online unless you pay close attention. Most parents know to warn their kids about talking to strangers that they met online on sites like Facebook. However, there is one avenue of online communication that often gets overlooked: online video games.

Online games enable players to play their game with anyone in the world. As great as that is for gamers, it can be problematic for young children. They can end playing their game with anyone, and as most adults know, there are some real creeps out there. Many parents are discovering that their kids are hearing and experiencing very inappropriate things online.

A disturbing new trend that is on the rise is child predators using gaming apps such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and other games to get in contact with teens and children. These games are heavily played by people of all ages, but especially children. Predators have begun using these games to talk to children about very inappropriate things, or to lure the kid into meeting them in real life.

In order to prevent something like this from happening, parents need to not only talk with their children about meeting online people in real life but also pay attention to what their kids are playing and how. For instance, Fortnite has a “T” rating, meaning that it is recommended that players be at least 13 years or older to play due to the slightly violent nature of the game.

The takeaway from this is that parents need to be aware of what their kids are doing online if they want to keep them safe. This is true whether the child is using social media or gaming. In some instances, it may be best to restrict a child from playing their game online, or limiting how much time they spend on the console. A word of advice, most modern consoles have built-in parental features such as timers and restrictions that prevent kids from playing games that are too mature.

All this requires is that the parent spends a bit of time learning about how their child spends their time online. By putting in this extra bit of effort, a parent can help keep their child safe.

Tennessee’s Hard Line Stance on Dog Bites

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You love your dog and there’s no doubt in your mind that they love you. While your dog might normally be the happiest, friendliest, most laid back animal you’ve ever encountered, at the end of the day, they’re still a dog, and at the end of the day, that means they could bite someone.

Why Dog’s Bite

There are a few different reasons why a dog that’s never shown any sign of aggression might suddenly bite a house guest. These reasons include:

  • They feel threatened
  • They’re being harassed by the house guest
  • They’re in pain
  • They’re startled

Tennessee’s Stance on Dog Bites

While most states have a one free bite policy when it comes to dogs, Tennessee doesn’t. What this means is that if your beloved pet bites someone, no matter what the reason may be, the victim can file a lawsuit against you.

The good news is that there are some limitations. For example, a person can’t file a dog bite lawsuit if they weren’t actually bitten by your dog, even if your dog acted like they wanted to bite. It also makes a difference if the person was unlawfully on your private property.

Don’t assume that just because your dog didn’t break the skin when they bit someone, that it doesn’t count as a dog bite. It still does. There was even a case where a person was injured after they fell from a ladder. Since it was determined that the reason the victim fell was a dog biting their pants, the owners were required to pay the legal bills.

What Does Lawfully on Property Mean

Some dog owners have gotten confused by the idea of someone being on their property lawfully. What the term means is that if someone has a legal reason to be on your private property. In the case of delivery drivers, lawyers with legal papers, and the police who have a warrant, they have a legal reason for being there, which means that if they’re bitten by your dog, you’re responsible. The same is true for anyone you invite onto your property. What this boils down to is that the only ones who can’t sue you if your dog bites them are a person who is illegally trespassing on the property.

As much as you love your dog, when anyone is on your property, its in your best financial interest to keep the dog on a leash, reducing the odds of anyone getting bit.