MEMO

To: Judge Don Layton, General Sessions I
      Judge Ronald Murch, General Sessions II

From: James N. Ramsey
District Attorney General

Re: Memo From Session Judges Dated September 28, 2001 to District Attorney

Date: October 1, 2001

We are in receipt of your memo and will respond as the reasonable allocation of resources allows.

Please be advised that even before this recent request to furnish records (something that is not required by any Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure) the number of misdemeanor cases which are carried to final judgment in Sessions Court has been falling and the number of misdemeanor cases "passed on" from Sessions Court to State Criminal Court for disposition has been rising (by bind-overs or waivers to grand jury and appeals of Session Judge's decisions by dissatisfied litigants). Thus the misdemeanor case load of the grand jury and the Criminal Court judge has been steadily rising. This may require a reallocation of prosecutorial resources in the future. Pursuant to TCA 8-7-103 (6) the District Attorney possesses this discretion. Presently I have assigned one attorney full-time to State Criminal Court.

The District Attorney's primary duty is to attend the State courts (Criminal and Circuit).

There are eight County court sessions at which a prosecutor from this office has been appearing each week-Monday and Wednesday morning and afternoon (4 sessions) in Clinton, and Tuesday and Thursday morning and afternoon in Oak Ridge (4 sessions).

Please advise me which of these 8 sessions could most easily be discontinued.

We will need to watch caseload trends and respond appropriately. Thank you.

James N. Ramsey
District Attorney General