District Attorney General Charme Allen Announces 2017 Citizens Academy Dates
District Attorney General Charme Allen has set the dates for the 2017 DA’s Office Citizens Academy. The program will be held at the City-County Building on Tuesdays from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on:
September 5, 12, 19, and 26
October 3, 10, and 17 (Graduation)
This program is the first of its kind in the State of Tennessee, and it will offer citizens an opportunity to learn more about the District Attorney’s Office and what it is like to represent the State and argue a criminal case as a prosecutor.
In a six-week course with graduation held during the seventh week, participants will engage with prosecutors discussing a range of topics, including the role of the prosecutor in the criminal justice system, the opiate epidemic, gang prosecution, human trafficking, and other emerging trends. Additionally, citizens will have the opportunity to take on the role of District Attorney while prosecuting a mock case in the court system.
Graduates will be able to take their newfound knowledge of the District Attorney’s Office and the criminal justice system into their neighborhoods to form stronger relationships between the DA’s Office and the community it serves. “During my time in office, I have focused on educating the public about how prosecutors work to protect the citizens of Knox County,” said DA Allen. “The Citizens Academy will further the goal of education in an interactive and informative way.”
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, live or work in Knox County, and must undergo a background check, including a criminal history check. Applications can be downloaded from the following PDF: CitizensAcademyApplication.pdf. Completed applications may be emailed to the Community Affairs Director, faxed to 865-215-4253, or mailed to the District Attorney’s Office at 400 Main Street, Suite 168, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37902. The deadline to submit an application is July 31, 2017. In order to promote active participation and individual attention, class size will be limited to 25 members.
If you have any questions regarding the Community Affairs Unit, please contact the Community Affairs Director at dag@knoxcounty.org. or 865-215-2515.