What is the booking process if you have been issued a criminal citation in Nashville , Tennessee ?  Metro Nashville Police  in some types of cases like simple possession of drugs , patronizing prostitution , and driving on a revoked driver’s license issue a criminal citation in lieu of an arrest warrant . I recently was asked  what is the booking process.

On the criminal citation , you are given a date in which to appear . The booking process starts at 7:00 A.M. and continues until 10:00 a.M. The location is the A.A. Birch Building which is pictured above .  After you enter the building , you go into the booking room where you provide some brief information , a mug shot photograph is taken , and you are fingerprinted . A trip down to Courtroom 1A is next . You sit there until the paperwork is processed . If you don’t have an attorney , you sit there until an assistant district attorney calls you to discuss the case .

An attorney can speed up the process , look for any defenses in the case , and possibly  negotiate a plea bargain or set the case for trial if needed .Also , an attorney can continue the court date if you have a conflict with the court date . Most importantly there may be ways to have the case dismissed and later expunged from your criminal record . Representing yourself may result in a criminal conviction that will be on your record for life .

So , that’s the basics of the booking process in Nashville.