TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 13, 2024

The Davidson County District Attorney’s Office has started a pilot program that diverts the cases of “survivor-defendants” away from the criminal justice system and towards resources offered to other Nashvillians facing domestic violence. The program is a partnership with the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and since June 1, around 40 individuals have had their cases diverted through it, according to the Nashville Banner. Nashville was selected by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) to be one of two pilot sites for similar programs. The APA will provide guidance and oversight along with data analysis to evaluate whether Nashville’s program is effective. For now, the program is only offered to people charged with a misdemeanor.