A weekend incident in Roane County resulted in multiple arrests on charges ranging from driving under the influence to aggravated criminal trespass, highlighting ongoing concerns about impaired driving and property crimes in the East Tennessee community.
Brent Price was booked into the Roane County jail on February 24 on a misdemeanor DUI charge under Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-401. Booking records show Price has one prior arrest in the county's system.
The arrest was part of a larger incident that netted four additional suspects on various charges. Robert Glasper also faces DUI charges along with an implied consent violation for refusing a blood alcohol content test. Taylor Kelly was charged with aggravated criminal trespass, while Xiomara Rivas and Betty Huling were both booked on failure to appear warrants.
The circumstances connecting all five suspects remain unclear from available booking records.
Tennessee's DUI statute carries significant penalties even for first-time offenders. Misdemeanor DUI convictions can result in jail time ranging from 48 hours to nearly a year, depending on blood alcohol content levels and prior offenses. Financial penalties include fines up to $1,500 plus court costs, mandatory alcohol safety education programs, and potential license suspension.
Glasper's additional charge of implied consent violation stems from Tennessee's law requiring drivers to submit to chemical testing when lawfully arrested for DUI. Refusal to take a breath, blood, or urine test results in automatic license suspension and can be used as evidence in court proceedings.
Aggravated criminal trespass, the charge facing Kelly, represents a more serious property crime than simple trespass. The aggravated version typically involves entering or remaining on property after being warned to leave, or trespassing on property where the offender knows their presence is unwanted.
Failure to appear warrants, like those issued for Rivas and Huling, are commonly issued when defendants miss scheduled court dates. These warrants can be issued for any level of underlying charge and often result in additional penalties beyond those for the original offense.
The multiple arrests come during what has been a relatively quiet period for Roane County law enforcement. County booking records show no other individuals were processed through the jail system on the same day as these five suspects.
Roane County, located in East Tennessee between Knoxville and Cookeville, includes portions of Watts Bar Lake and the Cumberland Mountains. The county seat of Kingston sits along the Tennessee River and serves as a hub for the region's recreational and industrial activities.
Price and his co-defendants join thousands of Tennesseans arrested annually on DUI charges. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security reports that impaired driving remains one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities statewide, with rural counties often seeing disproportionate impacts from drunk driving incidents.
The booking records do not indicate whether any of the arrests involved injuries or property damage. Such details typically emerge during court proceedings or through additional police reports filed with district attorneys.
All five suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Their cases will likely be processed through the Roane County court system, where they could face plea negotiations or trial depending on the strength of evidence and their criminal histories.
For Price, the DUI charge represents his second encounter with the Roane County criminal justice system according to available records. Repeat offenders face enhanced penalties under Tennessee law, including longer mandatory jail sentences and extended license suspensions.
The implied consent violation facing Glasper adds complexity to his case. Tennessee courts have generally upheld the state's authority to suspend licenses for test refusal, even when DUI charges are ultimately dismissed or reduced.
Defense attorneys in such cases often challenge the legality of the initial traffic stop or arrest, arguing that improper procedures invalidate both the DUI charges and any implied consent violations. Success in such challenges can result in complete dismissal of charges.
The aggravated trespass charge against Kelly could carry felony-level penalties depending on the specific circumstances. Tennessee law allows prosecutors to pursue enhanced charges when trespassing involves threats, weapons, or occurs at sensitive locations like schools or government buildings.
Court dates for all five defendants have not been released in available booking records. Roane County typically schedules initial appearances within days of arrest, allowing defendants to enter pleas and request appointed counsel if they cannot afford private attorneys.