News - Page 79 of 125 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

22 Feb, 2016

CA: Indefinite holding of police body-cam video would destroy purpose of having the cameras

By Deborah Fisher|2016-02-22T07:53:12-06:00February 22, 2016|Categories: crime records|Tags: Commercial Appeal, crime records, Doug McGowen, Lucian Pera, Memphis, police body cameras, video|0 Comments

The Commercial Appeal makes the point in an editorial over the weekend that a proposed policy to keep body cam video confidential until after an investigation into a police-involved shooting is finished could mean months or even years before citizens get to see it. Following is the Commercial Appeal's editorial, reprinted here with permission: During discussions at Memphis City Council meetings about the use of police body cameras, a point was made that should put citizens on alert. Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen, talking about proposed policy issues regarding the use and release of body-camera video to the public, proffered that the Police Department would deny any records requests related [...]

18 Feb, 2016

TCOG Board elects Memphis attorney Lucian Pera as new president, names executive committee

By Deborah Fisher|2016-02-18T07:12:48-06:00February 18, 2016|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Adam Yeomans, Dorothy Bowles, Doug Pierce, Lucian Pera, Marian Ott, TCOG board, TCOG news|0 Comments

Memphis attorney Lucian Pera has been named as the new President of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to improve citizen access to public information and open government in the state. Lucian Pera Pera, a partner with the Memphis office of Adams and Reese LLP, has served as a member of TCOG’s Board of Directors since 2007 and as its vice president since 2010. Adam Yeomans, the Associated Press Regional Director for the South, was elected as vice president. The board also re-elected to new terms on the executive committee Marian Ott as treasurer and Dorothy Bowles as secretary. Pera succeeds Doug [...]

17 Feb, 2016

Metro Nashville has no plans to shorten notice of zoning hearings

By Deborah Fisher|2016-02-17T10:24:31-06:00February 17, 2016|Categories: adequate public notice, Open Meetings|Tags: Davidson County, Metro Nashville Law Director Jon Cooper, Nashville, public hearings, public notice|0 Comments

Metro's law director Jon Cooper said this morning that Davidson County has no plans to shorten the amount of public notice it gives to citizens of public hearings on proposed zoning changes. Metro's own zoning regulations call for 21 days advance notice of zoning hearings, which Cooper says the city has been following for more than 20 years. These local regulations exceed the 15 days required by state law on all other counties in the state. This week, a House committee voted to change a statute established years ago that carved Davidson County out from all other counties, requiring it to give a 30-day notice. The rest of the 94 [...]

17 Feb, 2016

Memphis presents policy to deny access to body cam video, moves forward with purchase

By Deborah Fisher|2016-02-17T08:22:09-06:00February 17, 2016|Categories: crime records|Tags: Commercial Appeal, Lucian Pera, Memphis, police body cameras, Sevier County, TBI|0 Comments

The Commercial Appeal reports today that the city of Memphis is moving ahead with a multimillion-dollar plan to equip its police officers with body cams, but also presented a policy that would deny citizen requests to see video from the cameras if the video is related to an ongoing investigation. This would include incidents that involve an officer-involved shooting, Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen told council members. The proposed policy on access to video was not voted upon, and McGowen said the policy could be adjusted if it's not working, according to the Commercial Appeal. Lucian Pera, the Commercial Appeal's attorney, and president of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, was quoted [...]

16 Feb, 2016

The Tennessean urges Sumner school board to release legal bills in public records fight

By Deborah Fisher|2016-10-28T11:57:26-05:00February 16, 2016|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Ken Jakes, legal bills, Sumner County School Board, The Tennessean, Todd Presnell|0 Comments

UPDATE, 3/18/16: The Sumner County Board of Education has released minimally redacted records of its billing statements for legal services in a high-profile lawsuit over access to public records. But the board has not yet been invoiced by a Nashville law firm for work done since Nov. 30, 2015. Read Sumner school board releases legal bills Original story: After receiving heavily redacted copies of legal bills for Sumner County Schools, the Gallatin News Examiner, Hendersonville Star News and The Tennessean sent a letter to the school district last week, asking it to justify its redactions or provide the information requested. Reporter Jennifer Easton requested billing invoices by the law firm Bradley [...]