TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jun 20, 2024

The Metro Nashville Council approved a new budget Tuesday night, including $400,000 to launch an Indigent Defense and Excellence in Advocacy program. Developed by former Davidson County Public Defender Dawn Deaner and veteran defense attorney Jodie Bell, the program mirrors a federal model program to improve representation for poor criminal defendants and more thoroughly vet attorneys appointed to take their cases. The council also approved use of the funds to hire additional staff for the public defender’s office. Nashville’s public defenders, like those around the country, regularly carry a far heavier caseload than state guidelines recommend, Nashville Banner reports.