Amends TCA Title 2; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17 and Title 18.

Under present law, the twenty-first judicial district consists of Hickman, Lewis, Perry, and Williamson counties. There are five trial court judgeships in the twenty-first judicial district, including one judgeship that was created in 2018 and filled by a gubernatorial appointee until the August 2020 election, at which time the voters of the district will elect a judge to a two-year term. Beginning in 2022, the fifth judgeship will be filled by election to an eight-year term. Present law expresses the legislative intent that the trial court judgeship added to the twenty-first judicial district in 2018 will serve Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties.<br /> <br /> Effective September 1, 2022, this bill creates a new thirty-second judicial district to consist of Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties. The judgeship that was created in 2018 for the twenty-first judicial district will be transferred to the thirty-second judicial district, and only the voters of Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties will elect such judge in the August 2022 election. Also, at the August 2022 election, the voters of Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties will elect a district attorney general and district public defender for the thirty-second judicial district. The office space and property of the district attorney general for the twenty-first judicial district that is located in Centerville and Hohenwald will be transferred to the district attorney general for the thirty-second judicial district.<br /> <br /> Beginning September 1, 2022, the twenty-first judicial district will consist only of Williamson County and will be served by four judges. The twenty-first judicial district will retain its present allotment of assistant district attorneys general, investigators, and public defenders.<br /> <br /> This bill provides for the transfer of pending judicial matters from the twenty-first judicial district to the thirty-second judicial district. This bill also specifies that it will not affect the terms of office of persons presently serving as court clerks.<br /> <br />