Criminal Court News

Knoxville, TN - For the second year, the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's Office received the Innovator Award from the International Association of Government Officials (iGO) at its annual conference. The award recognized the Criminal Court Clerk's Community Service Program for its innovation and uniqueness in the area.

“What an honor to receive recognition for serving our community,” said Community Service Director Elizabeth White. “I am truly grateful to Clerk Hammond for creating this amazing program and allowing me to spearhead it. Our end goal is to entrust our participants, enhance community solidarity, and promote restoration. The Knox County Criminal Court Community Service Program is changing lives, one person at a time.”

The Community Service Program is an initiative for indigent defendants to pay their court financial obligations through completing community service hours. Clerk Hammond relaunched the program in the Summer of 2023 with Elizabeth White as the Program Director. Since then, program participants have completed over 4,000 hours of community service, with some individuals even securing employment at the organizations where they completed their service hours.

The International Association of Government Officials (iGO) is an organization for local officials that fosters excellence in public service through education, innovation, and networking. The Innovator Award has been presented at their annual conference since 2017.

If you or someone you know is interested in seeing if they qualify for the program, please visit https://criminalcourt.knoxcounty.org/services/community-service for more information.