TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 24, 2025

The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury has released a report on Shelby County's criminal justice system following a request by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, more than a year ago. The report, which examined thousands of felony charges filed between 2018 and 2024, found that while Shelby County handles more felony cases than other major counties, it struggles with delays, with only 33% of felony charges disposed of within a year. According to the Commercial Appeal, investigators pointed to several factors contributing to delays, including turnover in the district attorney’s and public defender’s offices, a reduction in criminal court judges, and frequent changes in defense counsel, which often result in case resets. The report also fund that the court system has work to do in furthering transparency and making things accessible to the general public. Since taking office, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has pushed for a public-facing database that could provide some of this data.