Deputy DA Bill Crabtree’s 40 Years of Public Service Celebrated!

District Attorney General Charme Allen is proud to announce that Deputy District Attorney General William “Bill” Crabtree celebrated forty years of service and seeking justice as a prosecutor with the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office.  The Knoxville News Sentinel announced General Crabtree’s appointment as an Assistant District Attorney on October 21, 1976.  Forty years later, to the day, we celebrated his career.

General Crabtree grew up in Loudon County and served in the United States Marine Corps before earning a law degree from the University of Tennessee.  He worked as a solo practitioner before being appointed as a prosecutor by DA Ron Webster.  From the beginning of his career until today, General Crabtree handled a number of high-profile cases, including the Christa Pike Job Corps murder trial in 1996 and the Eric McLean “Love Triangle” murder trial in 2008.  In addition to prosecuting thousands of cases, General Crabtree has been at the forefront of prosecutor training and development not only in Tennessee but also across the country, serving as faculty at the National College of District Attorneys and receiving their Distinguished Faculty Award in 2010.

His knowledge, experience, and dedication to service have led to his appointments to the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Committee on Post-Convictions, the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Committee on Case Identification, and as Chair of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference’s Education Committee.

Last year, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference presented General Crabtree with the 2015 Patrick H. McCutchen Award. The award was granted “In recognition for his dedication to the goals and ideals of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference and his efforts to improve the quality of justice for all Tennesseans.” In addition to this most recent honor, General Crabtree has received the B. Rex McGee Award for Pursuit of Legal Excellence (2008) and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference President’s Award (2000-2001) in recognition of outstanding public service in support of Tennessee’s prosecutors.

“Bill Crabtree has been a steadfast champion of justice serving the citizens of Knox County consistently through four separate administrations,” said DA Charme Allen. “His ability to mentor young attorneys and provide continuing legal education can be seen in prosecutors as well as defense attorneys across this state. I am honored to have been able to work side by side with Bill for 27 of his 40 years of distinguished service. Bill helped shape me not only as a prosecutor but also as a person. I am proud to call him my mentor and my friend.”

A celebration of General Crabtree’s career was held at the Bistro at the Bijou on Friday, October 21st from 4:30 to 6:30.  Members of the DA’s Office, legal community, and close friends and family praised General Crabtree with speeches, awards, memories and gifts highlighting his career, as well as special recognitions in his honor.  Congratulations to General Crabtree, we are truly grateful for your service!