Subcommittee advances bill to add criminal courts in 30th Judicial District; DA conference flags staffing and resource issues
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Summary
H.B. 1268, to add additional criminal courts in the 30th Judicial District to handle violent crimes and increase trial capacity, was advanced after testimony noting a statutory staffing formula requires creation of assistant district attorney positions and that the amendment does not add funding for those posts. Committee vote: 7–1–1.
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee advanced H.B. 1268 as amended on April 7, sending the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee by a recorded tally of 7 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present not voting. The bill would add criminal court capacity in the 30th Judicial District to process violent-crime cases faster and reduce caseloads for prosecutors and defenders.
Representative Scarborough (speaker 7) said the bill would increase trial capacity and reduce backlogs for violent cases. The Tennessee District Attorneys' General Conference, represented by Steven Crump, said the organization had no opposition to the bill "as it was written" but flagged statutory obligations tied to creating new judgeships: when a new trial-court judge is added, a formula in state law requires creation of additional assistant district attorney general positions.
Michelle Fogarty of legal services told the committee that TCA 16-2-508(b) requires additional assistant district attorney positions when a judicial district gains an additional trial court judge and does not already have sufficient assistant DA posts to meet the statute's formula. Representative Salinas asked whether the amendment included resources to fund the additional assistant DA positions; Representative Scarborough replied the amendment does not provide additional resources.
Committee members approved the amendment and voted to forward the bill to full judiciary; the committee recorded 7 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present not voting. The next step is consideration by the full House Judiciary Committee.
