Compensation

1. Law
2. Tennessee Code
3. Public Officers and Employees
4. Public Defenders
5. District Public Defenders and Investigators
6. Compensation

1. Effective July 1, 1994, the salary for district public defenders shall be an amount equal to eighty-eight percent (88%) of the salary established by law for district attorneys general. Effective July 1, 1995, the salary for district public defenders shall be an amount equal to the salary established by law for district attorneys general. On March 1, 2018, the base salary for district public defenders shall be one hundred fifty-six thousand twenty-four dollars ($156,024) and shall be adjusted on July 1 to reflect the average percentage pay increase provided for state employees by the general appropriations act.
2. 1. A full-time assistant district public defender shall be compensated according to the following pay schedule:

      Entry level  $    49,080

      after one (1) year  52,164

      after two (2) years  55,248

      after three (3) years  58,344

      after four (4) years  61,452

      after five (5) years  64,512

      after six (6) years  67,596

      after seven (7) years  70,704

      after eight (8) years  73,812

      after nine (9) years  76,872

      after ten (10) years  79,968

      after eleven (11) years  83,052

      after twelve (12) years  86,100

      after thirteen (13) years  89,184

      after fourteen (14) years  92,256

      after fifteen (15) years  95,328

      after sixteen (16) years  98,424

      after seventeen (17) years  101,220

      after eighteen (18) years  103,932

      after nineteen (19) years  106,548

      after twenty (20) years  109,020

      after twenty-one (21) years  112,620

      after twenty-two (22) years  116,316

      after twenty-three (23) years  120,144

      after twenty-four (24) years  124,392

      after twenty-five (25) years  128,616

   2. The salary levels for assistant district public defenders shall be increased by such percentage amount as shall be fixed by the general assembly in the general appropriations act. For the purpose of budget preparation, it shall be presumed that such percentage amount shall be the same as that received by other state employees.
   3. The executive director of the Tennessee district public defenders conference shall certify the entry level of compensation awarded to assistant district public defenders based on prior service credits. Subject to the approval of the district public defender, assistant district public defenders shall be entitled to prior service credits as follows:
      1. Any assistant district public defender who has prior experience as an assistant district public defender, an assistant district attorney general, a district public defender, a district attorney general, a criminal investigator for the district public defenders, a criminal investigator for the district attorneys general, a United States attorney, an assistant United States attorney, an assistant attorney general representing the state in criminal litigation, an elected judge of a court with criminal jurisdiction, an attorney who served as a law clerk for an appellate or trial judge of a court with criminal jurisdiction or an attorney who as a commissioned officer worked as a military attorney in the field of criminal defense or criminal prosecution while on full-time active duty in the judge advocate general's corps of any of the armed services of the United States, shall be eligible to receive year-for-year credit upon the recommendation of the hiring district public defender, and subject to the approval of the executive committee of the Tennessee district public defenders conference.
      2. The executive director of the Tennessee district public defenders conference may certify prior service credits for prior practice of law but not exceeding the assistant's experience as a licensed practicing attorney and, in no case, shall year-for-year credit exceed twelve (12) years.
   4. Implementation of salary increases pursuant to the pay schedule prescribed in subdivision (b)(1) shall be suspended for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004, and beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010. In the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2010, and in subsequent fiscal years, salary increases pursuant to the pay schedule prescribed in subdivision (b)(1) shall not include time of service between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, nor between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010.
   5. The salary increase provided by subdivision (b)(1), and suspended by subdivision (b)(4) for the period July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be reinstated effective July 1, 2017. For purposes of determining the appropriate salary classification for assistant district public defenders, credible service for the time period of July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be included.
   6. The salary increase provided by subdivision (b)(1), and suspended by subdivision (b)(4) for the period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, is reinstated effective July 1, 2019. For purposes of determining the appropriate salary classification for assistant district public defenders, credible service for the time period of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, is included.
3. 1. Effective March 1, 2018, all full-time district investigators shall be compensated according to the following pay schedule:

      Entry level $ 33,852

      after two (2) years  36,924

      after four (4) years  39,972

      after six (6) years  43,032

      after eight (8) years  46,164

      after ten (10) years  49,188

      after twelve (12) years  52,320

      after fourteen (14) years  55,332

      after sixteen (16) years  58,428

      after eighteen (18) years  61,512

      after twenty (20) years  64,584

   2. The salary levels for district investigators shall be increased by such percentage amount as shall be fixed by the general assembly in the general appropriations act. For the purpose of budget preparation, it shall be presumed that such percentage amount shall be the same as that received by other state employees.
   3. The executive director of the district public defenders conference shall certify the level of compensation awarded to district investigators based on prior service credits. Subject to the approval of the district public defender, district investigators are entitled to the same prior service credits as allowed criminal investigators for the district attorneys general in § 8-7-231, as well as relevant experience as a criminal defense investigator.
   4. If a district public defender having a vacant district investigator position appoints a licensed attorney to that position and designates that person to serve as an assistant district public defender, the appointee may, upon recommendation of the appointing district public defender, with approval of the executive committee of the district public defenders conference be compensated as an assistant district public defender as provided for in subsection (b).
   5. Implementation of salary increases pursuant to the pay schedule prescribed in subdivision (c)(1) shall be suspended for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004, and beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010. In the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2010, and in subsequent fiscal years, salary increases pursuant to the pay schedule prescribed in subdivision (c)(1) shall not include time of service between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2004, nor between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010.
   6. The salary increase provided by subdivision (c)(1), and suspended by subdivision (c)(5) for the period July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be reinstated effective July 1, 2017. For purposes of determining the appropriate salary classification for district public defender investigators, credible service for the time period of July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, shall be included.
   7. The salary increase provided by subdivision (c)(1), and suspended by subdivision (c)(5) for the period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, is reinstated effective July 1, 2020. For purposes of determining the appropriate salary classification for district public defender investigators, credible service for the time period of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, is included.

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