Martesha Johnson
Democratic · TN · Metropolitan Chief Public Defender, Nashville and Davidson County
Martesha Johnson Moore is the incumbent Metropolitan Chief Public Defender and the Democratic nominee for another term. She was first sworn into the elected office in 2018 after a career in public defense and won the May 2026 county primary without named opposition.
Track record
Public Safety and Crime Control
· 2 records
Johnson helped initiate and served in Davidson County's Task Force on Competency and Wellbeing, whose recommendations supported a $600,000 investment connecting people charged with low-level offenses to mental-health services.
April 14, 2022For
Source: nashville.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Chief Public Defender Martesha Johnson filed an emergency petition seeking the release of people charged with nonviolent offenses from Nashville jails during the COVID-19 outbreak.
April 3, 2020For
Source: publicdefender.nashville.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Civil Rights
· 2 records
Johnson helped initiate and served in Davidson County's Task Force on Competency and Wellbeing, whose recommendations supported a $600,000 investment connecting people charged with low-level offenses to mental-health services.
April 14, 2022For
Source: nashville.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Chief Public Defender Martesha Johnson filed an emergency petition seeking the release of people charged with nonviolent offenses from Nashville jails during the COVID-19 outbreak.
April 3, 2020For
Source: publicdefender.nashville.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Legal Competence
· 1 record
Johnson issued the Public Defender Office's formal response to a Metro audit and committed the office to workload-monitoring policies, capacity action plans, resource requests, and advocacy for fewer appointments when capacity is reached.
September 13, 2021For
Source: nashville.gov · researched July 13, 2026
Elections
- Public Defender, 20th Judicial District · August 6, 2026 · Davidson County, Tennessee · incumbent
Profile last researched July 13, 2026.