public records lawsuits Tennessee Archives - Page 18 of 20 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

17 Apr, 2014

Lawsuit challenges Sumner Schools for not allowing records request by email

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-17T15:34:29-05:00April 17, 2014|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: litigation, public records request, schools, The Tennessean|0 Comments

Reporter Tena Lee with the Hendersonville Star News and The Tennessean reports on a new public records issue in Sumner County -- a challenge to a school board policy that requires a public records request to be made in person or by U.S. postal service. The article is reprinted here with permission: An open records advocate told by the Sumner County Board of Education that he had to submit requests either in person or via U.S. mail rather than by email filed a lawsuit in Sumner County Chancery Court April 9 challenging the board's practice. Ken Jakes, a resident of Joelton, Tenn., emailed the board of education's community relations supervisor, Jeremy [...]

10 Apr, 2014

Read court filings for and against open records in Vanderbilt rape case
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Read court filings for and against open records in Vanderbilt rape case

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

Read court filings for and against open records in Vanderbilt rape case

By Deborah Fisher|2014-06-03T07:35:41-05:00April 10, 2014|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: crime records, litigation, The Tennessean, Vanderbilt rape case|0 Comments

Updated June 3 with additional briefs filed with Court of Appeals. The Tennessean and 10 other media organizations and related groups filed an open records lawsuit against Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, challenging its assertion that police records in the Vanderbilt rape case are exempted from the Tennessee Public Records Act. At issue is just how far the Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 16(a)(2) goes in restricting access by the public to police records during an investigation or prosecution. The coalition -- which includes Tennessee Coalition for Open Government -- contends 16(a)(2) is not a blanket exemption, and to make it so violates Tennessee statute and constitutional rights [...]

9 Apr, 2014

Coalition asks appeals court to affirm records ruling in Vanderbilt rape case
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Coalition asks appeals court to affirm records ruling in Vanderbilt rape case

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Coalition asks appeals court to affirm records ruling in Vanderbilt rape case

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-10T06:47:34-05:00April 9, 2014|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: crime records, litigation, Robb Harvey, The Tennessean, Vanderbilt rape case|0 Comments

The Tennessean and a coalition of others have asked the Court of Appeals to affirm a recent trial court's ruling that found no "blanket" exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act for crime records during a pending criminal case. The open records lawsuit against Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County started with a public records request by The Tennessean that included text messages received or sent by third party sources in the Vanderbilt rape case. Metro Government denied those records, citing Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 16(a)(2), which bars discovery of certain law enforcement material during an active criminal prosecution. The Tennessean was joined in the petition by 10 other media [...]

31 Mar, 2014

News Sentinel: Ruling affirms broad definition of public records

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T08:11:54-05:00March 31, 2014|Categories: email, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: emails, Knox County, Knoxville News Sentinel, litigation|0 Comments

This editorial was published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on March 31. It is reprinted here with permission: Blount County Circuit Court Judge David Duggan struck a blow for open government this year by ordering Knox County to turn over nine emails that Law Director Bud Armstrong had deemed private. The News Sentinel had requested to see the emails, which were sent to or from county accounts, under the state’s Public Records Act. After Armstrong refused, the News Sentinel filed suit in October 2012, with attorney Richard Hollow handling the case on behalf of the newspaper and in the name of managing editor Tom Chester. Judge David Duggan [...]

28 Mar, 2014

Fox 17 Nashville interviews orthodontist who won open records lawsuit
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Fox 17 Nashville interviews orthodontist who won open records lawsuit

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Fox 17 Nashville interviews orthodontist who won open records lawsuit

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-18T08:33:00-05:00March 28, 2014|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: litigation, Rutherford County|0 Comments

Stacy Case with Fox 17 WZTV Nashville interviewed the Rutherford County orthodontist who recently was awarded $31,000 in attorney's fees after suing the Rutherford County Board of Education for withholding records. The story on the open records lawsuit is part of the station's "Waste Watch" series. Fox 17 reports that Tracy Pack was trying to find out how a school principal was spending fund-raising money meant for students. A Murfreesboro judge recently ruled that the response of the school district to the citizen's request for public records was such that Pack was forced to hire an attorney and sue to gain access. Under the Open Records Act, a citizen can file a [...]