The executive director of the Tennessee district attorneys general conference shall certify the entry level of compensation awarded to assistant district attorneys general based on prior service credits. Assistant district attorneys general shall be entitled to prior service credits as follows:

(1) Any assistant district attorney general who has prior experience as an assistant district attorney, a district attorney general, 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 that served as a law clerk for an appellate or trial judge of a court with criminal jurisdiction, a district public defender, an assistant district public defender, or one who as a commissioned officer worked as a military attorney in the field of 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 attorney general, and subject to the approval of the executive director of the Tennessee district attorneys general conference.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 8-7-227

  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Attorney general: means the attorney general and reporter and any assistant thereto by whatever name known, any district attorney general and any assistant thereto by whatever name called, and any officer or full-time employee of the general assembly or any committee thereof established by statute, who is duly licensed to practice law in Tennessee, whose duty it is to provide facilities for drafting bills or to assist individual legislators in drafting bills or who renders legal advice and services to the members of the general assembly or committees thereof. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Law clerk: Assist judges with research and drafting of opinions.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Prior service: means service rendered prior to the date of membership in the retirement system for which credit was given under the terms of one (1) or more of the superseded systems as provided in part 6 of this chapter. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
  • Service: means service as a general employee, a teacher, a state police officer, a wildlife officer, a firefighter, a police officer, a state judge, a county judge, an attorney general, a commissioner or a county official which is paid for by an employer, and also includes service for which a former member of the general assembly is entitled to under former §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
  • State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) The executive director of the Tennessee district attorneys general 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.
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