Tennessee Press Association

11 Jun, 2014

Court of Appeals considers access to crime records in Tennessee

By |2021-02-02T10:35:57-06:00June 11, 2014|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

By Deborah Fisher, TCOG Executive Director Spectators packed the courtroom June 9 for oral arguments in the appeal of the public records case, The Tennessean et al v. Metro Government of Nashville. The petition was brought by The Tennessean and a media coalition after it requested to see crime records collected by police concerning an alleged rape at Vanderbilt University, and were denied access. So many people filled the rows of the appellate court that it prompted Judge Frank G. Clement to make a light note that the court usually doesn’t draw such a crowd. But the room quickly grew serious as lawyers began their arguments and the three appellate judges [...]

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3 Jun, 2014

Newspapers, broadcasters file amicus briefs in public records case

By |2014-09-12T15:00:59-05:00June 3, 2014|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , |0 Comments

The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Press Association have both filed amicus briefs in the public records case on appeal involving police files of the Vanderbilt rape case. Representing broad swaths of media throughout the state, both make arguments that any exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act created by the Rule of Criminal Procedure 16(a)(2) is limited to records not discoverable by the defense under the rule. The rule governs what categories of police evidence the defense in a criminal trial is entitled to see, and what evidence they are not entitled to see. But in the years following a 1987 Tennessee Supreme Court Decision, Appman v. [...]

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30 Apr, 2014

Will Vanderbilt rape case provide answer to nagging public records question?

By |2018-08-06T08:49:03-05:00April 30, 2014|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

By FRANK GIBSON Public Policy Director for Tennessee Press Association As unbelievable as it might sound, it has taken 27 years to find a case to challenge the way local law enforcement has abused and exploited a state Supreme Court ruling to make it difficult for the press to cover crime in our communities. Reporters and editors will recognize it as the “matter under investigation” excuse for  denying public records.  Contrary to what a sizeable segment of Tennessee’s law enforcement community thinks, it is really not an blanket exemption to our Public Records Act. A case called Appman v. Worthington has been the bane of editors and reporters, particularly police [...]

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10 Feb, 2014

Two lawmakers receive TPA’s open government award

By |2014-04-09T16:50:30-05:00February 10, 2014|Categories: Legislature|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Tennessee state Sen. Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican and chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and state Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, receive the Tennessee Press Association's 2014 Open Government Award. They are pictured here with TPA President Lynn Richardson. Two legislative leaders from East Tennessee are the 2014 recipients of the Tennessee Press Association’s coveted “Open Government Award.” The awards were presented to Sen. Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican and chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, on Feb. 6 at TPA’s Convention and Winter Institute in Nashville. Haynes chairs the House State Government Committee. TPA President Lynn [...]

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