Mark Stephens was re-elected on August 3, 2006 to his third consecutive eight-year term as public defender. He was escorted by his wife, Lynette Stephens and sworn in by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade.
Elected in 1990 as the first ever Public
Defender for the Sixth
Judicial District in Knoxville, Tennessee, he has worked for the past
sixteen years to provide public defender services unique to the
citizens of Knox County, and to expand the role of indigent services
beyond the limitations of an ordinary state office.Prior to his election, his law practice spanned over ten years, during which time he served as a prosecutor for the District Attorney's Office, and later went into private practice as a criminal defense lawyer.
Stephens's goal is to transform the Public Defenders Community Law Office into a model of holistic representation. He established the Community Law Office in 2001 as a result of his participation in the Executive Session on Public Defense at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Mr. Stephens is a participant in the Bureau of Justice Assistance, NACDL, NLADA, American Bar Association Bar Information Program, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Knoxville Bar Association, and the Knoxville Defense Lawyers Association.
Mr. Stephens has participated in the CLO’s Partners in Law program with the Boys’ and Girls’ Club and Communication Through Art, as well as CTA and Education Through Experience graduation ceremonies. He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee College of Law and College of Social Work. He is committed to numerous civic activities, including Leadership Knoxville.