Judge Jennifer Smith

Presiding Judge

Judge Jennifer Smith serves as a Criminal Court Division IV Judge in the 20th Judicial District for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.  She was initially appointed to the position in 2018 by Governor Bill Haslam and was elected in 2020 and 2022.   

Before her appointment, Judge Smith served in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office for many years.  As a practicing attorney, she handled criminal law cases at all levels, including prosecutorial and defense perspectives. She has argued three cases before the United States Supreme Court and numerous others in the state and federal appellate courts.  She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in Washington, D.C.     

As a state trial judge, Judge Smith presides over trials and related proceedings involving all criminal cases.  She is also the presiding judge of the Davidson County Residential Recovery Court Program, also known as DC4, which is a long-term, clinically managed, high-intensity substance abuse residential program designed for convicted non-violent offenders who have come into the criminal justice system due to their persistent struggles with maladaptive substance use.

In 2024, Judge Smith retired from the United States Navy after serving more than 23 years as an Intelligence Officer. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and has two sons, Thomas and Daniel.