Veteran Chattanooga attorney will go before grand jury

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

photo Hank Hill, a criminal defense attorney, was arrested on a driving impaired charge Sunday night, according to Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

A veteran criminal defense attorney will face a grand jury on charges of driving while impaired and violating the implied consent law, a Hamilton County Sessions Court determined Tuesday morning.

Hank Hill, 61, was arrested on April 24 after a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputy found him inside a 1984 pickup in a ditch on Signal Mountain, according to the arrest report. The officer noted he could smell a strong odor of alcohol and saw four empty beers in the truck.

Hill, who represents DUI clients in his practice and is head of the local criminal defense attorney association, took a Breathalyzer test six times, but samples were insufficient for results.

The defense attorney declined to give a blood sample at a local hospital, prompting the violation of implied consent charge.