29th Judicial District Launches Mental Health Court
The voluntary program pairs treatment with regular judicial oversight, backed by state grant funding.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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The 29th Judicial District has launched a mental health court, a voluntary program that received grant funding from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The court works with behavioral health providers and community partners to address treatment needs under regular judicial oversight.
Why it matters
District Attorney General Danny H. Goodman, Jr. said many people commit crimes because of untreated mental health issues that traditional prosecution does not adequately address. The court offers an alternative focused on treatment rather than prosecution alone.
The 29th Judicial District now operates a mental health court, assigned Assistant District Attorney Laura Clements to the court. Specific caseload figures, grant amounts and participant numbers have not been reported.
The players
Danny H. Goodman, Jr.
District Attorney General for the 29th Judicial District, who stated that untreated mental health issues drive many crimes that traditional prosecution does not adequately address.
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
The state agency that provided grant funding to support the mental health court in the 29th Judicial District.
The details
Assistant District Attorney Laura Clements has been assigned to the court by District Attorney General Danny H. Goodman, Jr. The program is voluntary and coordinates with behavioral health providers and community partners to deliver treatment under regular judicial oversight.
Timeline
November 9, 2026: Article announcing the launch of the mental health court is published.
Legal Context
The launch reflects Tennessee's use of state grants from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to fund specialty courts that route defendants with mental health needs into treatment under judicial supervision. It extends that statewide approach to the 29th Judicial District in Dyer County.
Residents in the 29th Judicial District, which includes Dyer County, may see defendants with mental health needs referred to a treatment-based track instead of standard prosecution. The program is voluntary, so participation depends on eligibility and agreement by the defendant.
The takeaway
Treatment-focused courts give defendants with untreated mental health conditions a path into care under judicial supervision rather than prosecution alone. Residents interested in participating should check eligibility with local court officials.
Further reading
Explore more Criminal Justice coverage from Tennessee.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Actionnews5.
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Should local courts divert people with untreated mental illness into treatment instead of prosecution?
