TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 3, 2026

Newly appointed Shelby County Interim Chief Public Defender Jerri Green has plans to improve morale, client experience and staffing, the Daily Memphian reports. Green was appointed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on Jan. 6 following the retirement of longtime chief Phyllis Aluko. In an interview with the paper, Green says she is focused on making the office more welcoming for clients while addressing long-standing resource gaps and increased caseloads tied to a recent surge in arrests. The office has faced staffing shortages and morale challenges, even as demand for its services remains high in a county where many defendants cannot afford private counsel. Green, a Memphis City Council member and Democratic candidate for governor, said her priority is quality representation over speed, emphasizing constitutional rights and opposing what she described as “assembly line justice.”