Chancellor John Weaver Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

11 Sep, 2024

Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years
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Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years

public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests

Tennessee is getting away with delaying access to public records, sometimes for years

By Deborah Fisher|2024-09-11T14:16:43-05:00September 11, 2024|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: Chancellor John Weaver, delays, John Becker, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, WBIR|0 Comments

Late last year, the city of Memphis wrote a $7,419.68 check to reimburse the attorney fees of journalist Marc Perrusquia rather than risk losing a public records lawsuit. The city folded before the case got before a judge. Something similar happened this summer in Knoxville when University of Tennessee threw in the towel on the eve of a public hearing in a public records case after stalling for more than a year and half. Tennessee ranked 45th in complying with public records requests, according to one study. We need fewer delays and better compliance with the law.

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 [...]

19 Dec, 2019

Public records case against Knox County sheriff showcases thorny problems for requesters

By Deborah Fisher|2019-12-19T14:52:48-06:00December 19, 2019|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: Chancellor John Weaver, Knox County Sheriff, Meghan Conley, public records requests|1 Comment

A public records lawsuit filed in April against Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler appears to be lurching slowly toward resolution. After two days of a bench trial on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10, Knox County Chancellor John F. Weaver gave attorneys until Jan. 13 to file final briefs and set Jan. 24 as the day for final arguments before the court. The case, Meghan Conley v. Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler, concerns several public records requests between August 2017 and March 2019. (See also the Memo in Support of Petition.) Conley, a University of Tennessee sociology professor, sought records related to the sheriff's participation in a 287(g) immigration enforcement program with [...]