FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 21, 2015

Nashville, Tenn. –Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer and Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) Director Kendell Poole announced the Tennessee agencies that received grant awards totaling $17.8 million to support highway traffic safety efforts.

The Davidson County District Attorney’s Office received $389,506 to support its specialized traffic offender prosecution team.  Assistant District Attorney Kyle Anderson said the award helps to fund three lawyers and a DUI coordinator position, as well as training and office expenses.  “We are grateful to the Governor’s Highway Safety Office for this grant and the continued support of our dedicated team of prosecutors whose work has helped cut in half the number of deaths caused by impaired drivers in Davidson County,” Anderson said.

A major part of roadway safety is educating motorists about laws and good driving behaviors.  “These grants help fund a variety of enforcement, legal, and educational initiatives across the state,” Schroer said. “All of these efforts, from DUI prosecution, to speed enforcement, to child passenger safety training, support the mission of saving lives and reducing injuries on our roads through partnership with numerous public and private organizations.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides the funding to GHSO.  The grants, totaling 437 for the 2015-2016 funding cycle, were awarded to 376 agencies that successfully applied for funding based on a defined problem and statistical need.  “Tennessee’s decline in traffic fatalities has occurred because of the dedication and commitment from our partners across the state,” Poole said. “They are coming up with ideas and programs that are creative, innovative, and solid.  They are the foundation for the culture of safety on our roads, and I am ecstatic that we are able to support their endeavors.”

DUI Prosecution Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 27, 2015

(Nashville, TN) – District Attorney Glenn Funk has appointed veteran attorney Ana Escobar to head the DA’s domestic violence unit.  As team leader, Escobar will lead nine lawyers in prosecuting cases and assisting victims. 

“Ana is a respected and compassionate advocate who will work to ensure immediate and consistent professional support for victims of domestic violence and accountability for offenders,” District Attorney Funk said.

Escobar was sworn in as Assistant District Attorney in March 2015.  She previously served as Deputy Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts and as Metropolitan Nashville Clerk.  She also created MyCity Academy, an initiative of the mayor’s office to assist new immigrants to Nashville.  Escobar is a graduate of George Washington University Law School and Vanderbilt University.

In Davidson County, half of all violent crime is domestic related. More than 5,400 domestic violence cases were prosecuted last year.  At that time, Funk increased the number of attorneys handling domestic violence cases and announced the creation of a new investigative division to focus on prosecution support. The unit is also staffed with victim-witness coordinators who work directly with victims as their cases go through the court system.

 

Child abuse-En Espanol

(Nashville, TN) –A Davidson County jury has found a Nashville man guilty of sexual battery in a case involving an 11-year-old boy.  Jose Alvarado, 46, was convicted after evidence showed he abused the boy at the church the two attended.

Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Hennig said the boy’s mother first suspected abuse and was encouraged by her pastor and pediatrician to contact police. Hennig said mandatory reporting laws carry a legal duty to report suspected child abuse cases to police or the Department of Children Services.

“These type of crimes need to be reported because people who do this sort of thing are likely to reoffend until someone comes forward,” Hennig said. “The victim in this case recognized that by being brave and testifying he was helping to protect other children.”

Hennig advises Non-U.S. citizens not to be afraid to report crimes despite their immigration status. Reports of child abuse can be made anonymously. Many Non-U.S. citizens who are victims of crime may also qualify for U-Visas.  The District Attorney’s Office has services available for non-English speaking victims and witnesses.

Alvarado faces 8 to 12 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 28.

June 05, 2015 – (Nashville, TN) – Burlison Convicted

A Davidson County jury has returned guilty verdicts in the child rape and abuse trial of a former Hermitage babysitter. Jurors heard three days of testimony in the case led by Assistant District Attorneys Alyssa Hennig and Pam Anderson. Following less than two hours of deliberation on Thursday, Becky Burlison, 42, was found guilty on two counts of Aggravated Rape of a Child and one count each of Aggravated Child Abuse and Aggravated Child Neglect.

Burlison was arrested by Metro Nashville Police in April, 2012 after the two-year-old boy she had been babysitting suffered severe injuries when Burlison inserted a brush handle into the child’s rectum. The handle broke and became lodged inside the little boy’s body.

Assistant D.A. Alyssa Henning said the babysitter had been a trusted family friend. “The family is pleased with the jury’s verdict and understand that while this doesn’t change what happened to their son it does prevent her from hurting anyone else’s child,” General Hennig said.
Assistant D.A. Pam Anderson said the case demonstrates the commitment by the District Attorney’s Office to protect vulnerable victims. “We will not tolerate this type of behavior from anyone toward children in our community,” General Anderson said.

Becky Burlison faces a minimum forty-years in prison when she is sentenced on July 10.

Click here to view the Official Release

(Nashville, TN) – Human Trafficking Unit

“The ultimate form of depravity is when a person turns a little girl into a sex slave,” District Attorney Glenn Funk said in announcing the formation of a human trafficking unit inside the DA’s Office. Four Assistant District Attorneys have been assigned to the unit and will ensure full prosecution of human sex trafficking cases in Nashville. The move comes as the TBI creates the Middle Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force to bring greater attention to the issue. The task force, which will include the DA’s Office, End Slavery Tennessee and several local law enforcement agencies, is currently working to secure a federal grant to assist in prosecution of offenders and services for victims.

View the Official Release

May 07, 2015 – (WZTV) – Disarming Domestic Abusers

The Davidson County District Attorney’s office confiscated a handgun from a convicted abuser, one of the first cases of its kind, the department said Wednesday.

Read More at: http://www.fox17.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Disarming-Domestic-Abusers—Eric-Alvarez-128118.shtml

May 06, 2015 – (WKRN) – Domestic Violence Prosecution Support

Numbers released this week show more than half of all crimes in Tennessee are related to domestic violence.

To curb that trend, Davidson County District Attorney General Glenn Funk implemented a plan called the Domestic Violence Prosecution Support.

May 05, 2015 – (Nashville) – DA’s Office Receives Leadership Award for Diversity

The DA’s Office is honored to receive the 2015 Leadership Award for Diversity from the Nashville Bar Association (NBA). District Attorney Funk accepted the award during the NBA’s Annual Law Day luncheon on May 1, 2015. The award was given to the DA’s Office in recognition of its contributions to enhance diversity and professional success. District Attorney Funk has made diversity a priority by appointing more African-American and Latino lawyers and executive staff to key positions in his administration.

May 04, 2015 – (Nashville) – Jones, Mason and Martin Appointments

District Attorney Glenn Funk has announced three new appointments to the Office of the District Attorney, effective May 1, 2015. Attorneys Robert Jones, Leticia Mason and Investigator Randy Martin were sworn in Friday morning by Judge Steve Dozier.

Robert Jones is a veteran trial attorney and previously served as Shelby County’s Chief Public Defender. Attorney Jones has more than 35 years legal experience and is a graduate of Memphis State University School of Law. As an Assistant District Attorney in Nashville, he will oversee prosecution of child abuse cases.

Attorney Leticia Mason’s private practice specialized in immigration and civil law. She joins the District Attorney’s Office after having worked as a Spanish court interpreter for Davidson County Criminal Court and a staff attorney for the Mexican government. She is a graduate of Nashville School of Law.

Investigator Randy Martin retired from the Metro Nashville Police Department in 2014 after 30 years as a police detective. He joins the DA’s Investigations Unit to assist in preparing cases for prosecution.
“I am pleased to have this group of professionals join our office,” District Attorney Funk said. “Their combination of experience and commitment to public safety will ensure our office continues to focus on protecting vulnerable victims.”

View the Official Release