Tennessee Senate Bill SR0120

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/28/25
• Enrolled: 4/23/25
• Passed: 4/23/25

Caption

A RESOLUTION relative to codes of conduct for district attorneys general, district public defenders, and court clerks.

Summary

SR0120 is a Senate resolution urging the Tennessee Supreme Court to begin drafting and adopting codes of conduct in the court rules for district attorneys general, district public defenders, and court clerks. The resolution states that, unlike judges who are subject to oversight by the state board of judicial conduct, these other elected justice-system officials do not have comparable conduct rules or complaint procedures. The resolution also asks the Supreme Court to create a panel of three to five individuals involved in the judicial process to review recent alleged misconduct involving three elected district attorneys general and determine whether action is needed to preserve the integrity of the judicial branch. Because it is a resolution, it does not itself change statutory law, but instead expresses the Senate’s position and requests action by the judiciary.

Impact

SR0120 does not amend Tennessee statutes or create enforceable disciplinary rules on its own. Its practical impact is to formally urge the Tennessee Supreme Court to use its rulemaking authority to establish codes of conduct and complaint procedures for district attorneys general, district public defenders, and court clerks, and to consider a review panel for alleged misconduct. If acted upon by the Court, the resolution could lead to new court rules affecting ethics oversight and accountability for these elected officials.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received generally favorable support in the Senate, advancing out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 5-2 vote and then passing the floor motion to adopt by a 26-7 vote. That voting pattern suggests a majority view that additional ethical oversight in the justice system is warranted. The available record does not include committee debate transcripts, so the sentiment can be inferred primarily from the votes and the resolution’s framing around integrity and accountability.

Contention

The main point of contention is the scope and target of ethics oversight. Supporters appear to favor extending conduct rules beyond judges to other elected justice officials and creating a panel to examine alleged misconduct by district attorneys general. Opponents may have been concerned about the resolution’s focus on specific alleged misconduct, the propriety of urging judicial action on elected prosecutors and other officials, or the separation of powers implications of asking the Supreme Court to address conduct standards for these offices.