By Clint Confehr
District Attorney Glenn R. Funk is The Tennessee Tribune’s Man of the Year.
The reason is clear and succinct. “In the last 26 years the Nashville District Attorney’s office employed primarily young white male attorneys, and Glenn Funk changed this in a few months ” Tribune Publisher Rosetta Miller Perry said.
That became clear as soon as he took office. There was a changing of the guard at the top and through significant seats of entrenched power. Outgoing prosecutors were not criticized, but they were going out of the office and not all of their successors are African-American male attorneys. “He practices diversity in hiring,” Miller Perry said. “He is the first politician I met with in the last 50 years who did what he promised – no discrimination in hiring in his office at any level, at anytime. “
Not all of Funk’s new staffers are men. The women he’s brought to prominent positions are talented, educated, experienced, of color and, they too, bring new blood to an important office. Tennessee law makes the district attorney general the most powerful law enforcement officer in their jurisdiction. Typically, there’s a multi-county jurisdiction. Regardless of Funk’s district lines, he has remarkable power and his words, spoken with quiet sincerity, reflect his attitude of fairness and a humble nature.
Much is expected of those to whom much is given. We have confidence that Funk can and will blend faith, fairness and equity as he pursues justice. Many Americans have come to believe that’s not the case in all jurisdictions.
Tennessee’s elected prosecutors have the authority to decide against prosecuting a defendant on charges they may deem too harsh. They can decide to recommend alternate courses for those under arrest. Tennessee prosecutors can start a process that can mean life or death to people charged with the most heinous of crimes. It can be said that Funk came to office with a mandate.
He did win the election, and he won with endorsements from people in the community whose lives are dedicated to service of mankind. At times, conversa- tions with Funk include religious references that he clearly holds as a true compass on how and where to walk through life as a family man and a professional. He’s been a Sunday school teacher and on a recent Sunday he was in the pulpit of one of our churches. We pray that the great responsibility of his office does not become a burden, that nightmares of criminality are clearly highlighted in open court so that justice is done and the results rest peacefully on the conscience of the community and of this man.
He’s made good on his word and that promises more to come. Still, we have our own stated and understood reason for selecting District Attorney Glenn Funk as our Man of the Year.
Simply put: “He hires more African-American Attorney’s s than any other office in the city, state and federal government,” Miller Perry said. Would anyone expect anything less of us?