Summary

The Tennessee Constitution states that each of the 31 judicial districts in Tennessee shall have an elected District Attorney General. The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office, by law, is responsible for handling all state misdemeanors and felonies that occur in Shelby County. That is what most people think of when they think of a prosecutor. They think of a courtroom, a victim and a defendant. We hold offenders accountable daily in the General Sessions, Criminal and Juvenile courts of Shelby County — hundreds of thousands of cases yearly ranging from public intoxication to capital murder. However, we do so much more. We also work in classrooms, meeting halls and community centers to reduce crime and reduce the number of families affected by crime in Shelby County. And while the way we go about our job has changed drastically since the early days of our state, our duty to always ensure due process is followed every step of the way has not.

Do the right thing every day for the right reason. Not always the easy thing, but the right thing.

When the truth, the facts and the law lead us to guilt, it is our duty to hold offenders accountable. It is our duty to protect the victim and the public. When those same things lead us to innocence or causes us to question, it is our duty to dismiss charges. Each member of this office plays a vital role in this process.

With everything we do, we hope to prevent future crime and future victims. For those who commit violent crimes in our community, often the only solution is prison. For other types of crimes, we look to alternatives — probation,  drug court, mental health court, veteran’s court — and other smart, proven methods that hold offenders accountable but direct them away from future criminal behavior. We also have several programs aimed at education, intervention and restoration of privileges for those who have paid their debt.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about your District Attorney’s Office.

“He is to judge between the people and the government; he is to be the safeguard of the one and the advocate for the rights of the other; he ought not to suffer the innocent to be oppressed or vexatiously harassed, any more than those who deserve prosecution to escape; he is to pursue guilt; he is to protect innocence; he is to judge the circumstances, and, according to their true complexion, to combine the public welfare and the safety of the citizens, preserving both, and not impairing either; he is to decline the use of individual passions, and individual malevolence, when he can not use them for the advantage of the public; he is to lay hold of them where public justice, in sound discretion, requires it.” 

— Catherine Fout vs. State of Tennessee, 4 Tenn. 98 (1816)