public records lawsuits Tennessee Archives - Page 6 of 20 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

6 Jan, 2021

Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case
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Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Knox County sheriff to appeal judge’s decision in public records case

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T16:50:01-06:00January 6, 2021|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: attorney's fees, Chancellor John Weaver, David Buuck, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|0 Comments

The Knox County Sheriff's Office has filed notice to appeal its loss in a public records case in which the judge found it violated the law in denying access to records requested by a University of Tennessee professor. Chancellor John Weaver in April ordered the sheriff's office to comply with provisions of the public records act governing responses to public records requests and to implement a system to allow public inspection of arrest records. Weaver in December also awarded $78,007 in attorney's fees to the professor who had to bring the lawsuit to force the sheriff's office to turn over records. Knox County Law Director David Buuck's office has filed [...]

2 Dec, 2020

Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff
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Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff

public records lawsuits Tennessee

Citizen wins $78K in attorney’s fees, expenses in public records suit against Knox County sheriff

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T16:51:19-06:00December 2, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: attorney's fees, Chancellor John Weaver, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|0 Comments

A Knox County judge last week awarded $78,007 in attorney's fees and expenses to a citizen who took the Knox County Sheriff to court for violating the public records law. Meghan Conley was awarded $78K for attorney's fees and expenses. The decision is another blow to the Knox County Sheriff's Office in a case replete with remarkable claims about the office's inability to locate public records or produce even the most basic records, such as arrest records, for inspection. Chancellor John Weaver had earlier found that the Knox County sheriff had violated the public records law by denying University of Tennessee sociology professor Meghan Conley access to arrest records and [...]

2 Nov, 2020

TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires
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TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires

public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records

TN Democratic Party’s public records suit over absentee ballots misfires

By Deborah Fisher|2021-01-27T17:03:42-06:00November 2, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, state records|Tags: absentee ballots, Chancellor Patricia Moskal, elections, Marquita Bradshaw, Tennessee Democratic Party, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, voter records|0 Comments

Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Moskal denied a request for an injunction to force the production of data that could show which Tennesseans have not yet returned absentee ballots. Her ruling was based largely on lack of proof that a public records request for the data had actually been made. In an election eve hearing today, attorney Benjamin Gastel of Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, argued that his client, the Tennessee Democratic Party, and the other plaintiff, the Marquita Bradshaw for Senate Campaign, had requested the data from five county election commissions and the Secretary of State's office. Chancellor Patricia Moskal Gastel said they wanted to find out the names of the [...]

7 Jul, 2020

Judge affirms ruling in case against Knox County sheriff, information emerges about withheld records

By Deborah Fisher|2020-07-07T14:33:05-05:00July 7, 2020|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: arrest records, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|0 Comments

Knox County Chancellor John Weaver last week declined a motion by the Knox County Sheriff to alter his order in a recent public records case, even as new information emerged that even more requested records had been withheld. The sheriff had argued that parts of the order were too onerous, such as making arrest reports freely available for public inspection and having to respond to requests that might be generally phrased. Weaver in April had ruled in Conley v. Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler that the Knox County Sheriff’s Office violated the public records law in denying access to public records sought by a University of Tennessee sociology professor related to immigration enforcement. [...]

7 Jul, 2020

Judge rules Tennessee School Boards Association is ‘functional equivalent’

By Deborah Fisher|2020-07-07T14:29:48-05:00July 7, 2020|Categories: functional equivalent, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Beacon Center of Tennessee, functional equivalent, Tennessee School Boards Association|0 Comments

A Davidson County judge ruled Monday that the Tennessee School Boards Association is subject to the state public records law because it is a functional equivalent of a government agency. Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal ruled that the Tennessee School Boards Association is subject to the public records law as a functional equivalent of a government agency. "As a functional equivalent of a governmental agency, the public records in the possession of TSBA, including its training materials, communications regarding its legislative agendas, and its position statements on stated education law and funding, are public records subject to he provisions of the TPRA," Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal wrote in her ruling. (See [...]