Public Records Archives - Page 3 of 75 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

7 Feb, 2024

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee
Gallery
Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee

crime records, Legislature, Public Records

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee

By Deborah Fisher|2024-02-07T08:36:45-06:00February 7, 2024|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Public Records|Tags: autopsies, crime records, legislature, minors, Rebecca Alexander|0 Comments

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under a bill that passed a House subcommittee on Tuesday. TCOG testified against the bill, noting examples of when journalists, often working with extended family members, used autopsies to shine light on coverups and mistakes, including a child shot in head by Memphis police in a botched housing raid and child killed by his mother's boyfriend in Columbia.

3 Jan, 2024

Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law
Gallery
Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law

Legislature, public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records

Judge rules expenses related to legislative intern harassment exempt from public records law

By Deborah Fisher|2024-01-03T17:02:01-06:00January 3, 2024|Categories: Legislature, public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records|Tags: Brian Manookian, Chancellor Russell Perkins, legislature, Mayhew v. Wilder, public records exemptions, public records lawsuits, Scotty Campbell, sexual harassment|0 Comments

A Nashville judge said the expenses related to harassment of a 19-year-old legislative intern by then-state lawmaker Scotty Campbell are exempt from the public records law based on a House rule and a policy on workplace harassment. But Chancellor Russell Perkins refused to buy the state's broad argument that the General Assembly is exempt from the public records law.

15 Aug, 2023

Autopsy reports of children killed by violence would be confidential under proposed bill
Gallery
Autopsy reports of children killed by violence would be confidential under proposed bill

crime records, Legislature

Autopsy reports of children killed by violence would be confidential under proposed bill

By Deborah Fisher|2023-08-22T16:16:25-05:00August 15, 2023|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: autopsy reports, legislation, State Rep. William Lamberth, The Covenant School shooting|0 Comments

House Majority Leader William Lamberth has filed a bill for the special session next week that would close autopsies and other reports of medical examiners in cases involving "victims of violent crime who are minors." The bill, HB 7007, seeks to make those reports and autopsies of children who are 17 and younger "not public documents."

21 Jun, 2023

After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits
Gallery
After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits

public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests

After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits

By Deborah Fisher|2023-06-21T09:47:12-05:00June 21, 2023|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: delays, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis Police, Paul McAdoo, public records requests|0 Comments

For 2 1/2 years, Memphis journalist Marc Perrusquia has received perfunctory communications from the city of Memphis that it is still reviewing and considering his records request, each time pushing the date for their response down the road. Perrusquia is asking for audits of a Memphis police program that provides intervention for officers who have exhibited behavior or performance problems. However, the city has stonewalled his request, contacting him 41 times over the 2 1/2 years extending the "time necessary" to complete the request. Now he has filed a lawsuit challenging those delays and in an effort to shake loose the audits.

20 Jun, 2023

Release the Covenant crime records: An aware public can help stop additional attacks
Gallery
Release the Covenant crime records: An aware public can help stop additional attacks

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Release the Covenant crime records: An aware public can help stop additional attacks

By Deborah Fisher|2023-06-21T09:22:43-05:00June 20, 2023|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Covenant parents, crime victims, The Covenant School shooting, victim rights|0 Comments

The mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville has led to an extraordinary legal battle over the public records law and transparency of our criminal justice system. The school, the church that owns the school and the parents of the schoolchildren are seeking to stop the public from seeing evidence collected by police in one of the most horrific crimes in Nashville in recent memory, saying that it would be too painful and inspire more school shootings.