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TACIR approves report recommending statewide DA caseload study; urges interim per‑diem funding option for cities with municipal courts
Summary
TACIR approved a final report on District Attorney staffing that recommends a statewide workload/caseload study to determine DA staffing needs across all courts and suggests municipalities negotiate per‑diem payments to assist DA staffing before a statewide study is complete.
The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations approved a final report on District Attorney staffing and municipal courts of concurrent jurisdiction, recommending a statewide workload/caseload study to establish DA staffing needs and advising an interim option for cities to negotiate per‑diem payments for assistant district attorneys when necessary.
Staff prepared the report in response to legislation (Senate Bill 2054 and House Bill 2205 in the 113th General Assembly) that would have required cities with municipal courts of concurrent jurisdiction to fund at least one assistant district attorney position. TACIR presented a draft in January 2025 and kept the first recommendation in the final report: the state should undertake a caseload workload study that accounts for all the courts a district attorney serves, including municipal courts with concurrent jurisdiction.
Why this matters
District attorneys’ offices prosecute cases across multiple local courts; municipal courts that have concurrent jurisdiction can add to DA workload. A workload study would quantify staffing needs to ensure adequate prosecutorial coverage without ad‑hoc or uneven municipal funding arrangements.
Additional recommendation and context
The final report’s second recommendation, modified in light of Public Chapter 369 (Acts of 2025), suggests that cities without existing arrangements consider negotiating a per‑diem payment to DA offices to fund attorney staff while the statewide caseload study is completed. The 2025 act also authorized a new court cost that some counties may levy and remit to district attorneys; the report notes that change in recommending interim funding options.
Vote
The commission moved to approve the final report on the record; the motion passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Quotes
“We presented a draft report for your review and comment at the January 2025 meeting. The final report’s first recommendation is unchanged from the draft,” staff presenter said, summarizing the report and its development.
Speakers and attribution
The report was presented by commission staff and discussed on the record; staff recommended approval and commissioners approved by voice vote.
