Major Felony Defense in Nashville

Nashville Major Felony Defense Lawyer

A felony charge in Tennessee can carry years in prison, and the most serious ones carry decades. For a Class A felony, the sentencing range runs from 15 to 60 years (T.C.A. § 40-35-111). For anyone facing a charge like that, the attorney they choose in the first few weeks shapes almost everything that follows, from bond to the evidence the State can use at trial.

Joseph W. Fuson, managing partner of Freeman & Fuson, leads the firm’s defense of its most serious criminal cases. He has been licensed in Tennessee since 2006 and has spent his career in Middle Tennessee courtrooms defending people charged with large drug offenses, vehicular homicide, and violent felonies.

Joey works alongside the firm’s criminal defense team on felony cases in Davidson County and across Middle Tennessee, from the first bond hearing in General Sessions Court through trial in Criminal Court.

Practice Areas 

Large Drug Cases

Joey Fuson defends people facing serious drug felonies in Tennessee, including cases built on wiretaps, controlled buys, informants, or large seizures. These charges include:

• Possession with intent, sale and delivery, and drug manufacturing
• Drug conspiracy charges involving multiple defendants

In Tennessee, the weight of the drug often decides the felony class, and a case involving 300 grams or more of cocaine or methamphetamine is a Class A felony (T.C.A. § 39-17-417), the same class as second-degree murder.

Vehicular Homicide and Violent Felonies

A death on the road can lead to a vehicular homicide charge under T.C.A. § 39-13-213, and the State often builds these cases on blood results, crash reconstruction, and witness accounts, each of which can be tested and challenged. Joey also defends people charged with:

• First- and second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter
• Aggravated assault
• Aggravated robbery and carjacking
• Employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, which carries its own mandatory prison term

A conviction for any of these charges can mean a long prison sentence, and the decisions made in the first weeks of the case often shape what happens at trial.

What Happens Early in a Felony Case

Most serious felony cases in Tennessee move through the same early steps:

• An arrest and a bond hearing in General Sessions Court
• A preliminary hearing, where the State must show probable cause
• A grand jury indictment and, later, trial in Criminal Court

Each step is a chance to test the State’s case, argue for a reasonable bond, and start building a defense before the evidence is locked in. Joey Fuson and the criminal defense team at Freeman & Fuson get involved as early as possible so those chances are not lost.