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Public defenders present weighted‑caseload findings that point to large staffing shortfall
Summary
The Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference told the committee it needs many more lawyers and support staff after translating national weighted‑caseload metrics to Tennessee data; leadership proposed a long list of positions, including 20 assistant public defenders and 12 investigators, and warned that continued understaffing threatens defense quality and system fairness.
Patrick Froge, executive director of the District Public Defenders Conference, presented a compact budget that is roughly 91% salaries and benefits and described a caseload analysis showing substantial staffing gaps.
Froge said the conference asked for 20 assistant public defenders, 12 investigators, 20 secretaries and seven social workers in FY27; the agency also requested additional IT and evidence‑storage resources to handle the surge of video and digital evidence. The conference noted that some cost increases such as rent and statutory salary adjustments were included in the administration’s package but that additional positions were not.
Froge described a state‑specific workload analysis using the National Center for State Courts/RAND case‑weighting framework applied to Tennessee case counts; results suggested large shortages in many judicial districts — his internal, conservative aggregation suggested the conference might be 144 lawyers short under an aggressive interpretation, while a more modest consensus figure was smaller. He emphasized that technology tools such as JusticeText and storage contracts with cloud providers have saved positions but cannot substitute wholly for added attorneys in high‑demand areas.
Lawmakers broadly expressed support for the principle that defense capacity is essential to a fair justice system; several members urged careful review of the workload study and requested follow‑up data and cost estimates.
