Open Courts Archives - Page 7 of 7 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

12 Sep, 2014

Ramsey, Ashe call for more transparency in the Tennessee Attorney General selection

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T08:20:17-05:00September 12, 2014|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: Attorney General, Bob Cooper, Ron Ramsey, Tennessee Supreme Court, Victor Ashe|0 Comments

Tennessee's lieutenant governor and a former mayor of Knoxville have called for more transparency in the Tennessee Supreme Court's selection of the Attorney General. Bob Cooper currently holds the slot, and in a process unlike many states, the state's top court reviews candidates and decides who should take his place (or if he should remain in the job) when the eight-year term expires. In most states, the attorney general is an elected position. Andy Sher with the Chattanooga Times Free Press today reports on criticism of the Tennessee Attorney General selection process by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe. The Supreme Court will make its choice [...]

Knox County judge reverses camera ban in courtroom

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T08:15:28-05:00September 3, 2014|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: camera ban, courtroom access, Knoxville News Sentinel, Rick Hollow, tv camera ban, WBIR|0 Comments

The Knoxville News Sentinel and WBIR challenged a camera ban in the courtroom of a newly elected chancellor, and got a reversal. The judge had refused the newspaper's request to photograph his first day on the bench. The newspaper made the request under the Supreme Court Rule 30, which governs media coverage in courtrooms. The rule basically allows a judge an ability to limit or refuse media coverage in certain circumstances "to (i) control the conduct of the proceedings before the court; (ii) maintain decorum and prevent distractions; (iii) guarantee the safety of any party, witness, or juror; and (iv) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause..." There [...]

Pics from “Judges and Journalists” event

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T08:17:59-05:00January 22, 2014|Categories: Open Courts|0 Comments

A link to pictures from recent event by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists on courts and the media. Among discussion topics: sealed records, closed court proceedings and technology (twitter and liveblogs) in the courtroom.