TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 25, 2025

Robert Taswell “Tas” Gardner has been elected by fellow public defenders to serve as president of the Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference. The conference is a statewide network of publicly elected district public defenders representing each of Tennessee’s 32 judicial districts. As president, Gardner will lead the conference’s Executive Committee, which supports public defenders across the state and works with lawmakers on policies and procedures that impact the justice system. He also will serve on the TBA Board of Governors as the conference's representative. Gardner currently serves as public defender for Tennessee’s 24th Judicial District, which includes Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin and Henry counties. Read more in a press release from the group.