crime records Archives - 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.

18 May, 2023

Sen. Gardenhire, Tennessean file public records lawsuits; Covenant parents seek to intervene
Gallery
Sen. Gardenhire, Tennessean file public records lawsuits; Covenant parents seek to intervene

crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Sen. Gardenhire, Tennessean file public records lawsuits; Covenant parents seek to intervene

By Deborah Fisher|2023-05-19T11:39:51-05:00May 18, 2023|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Audrey Hale, Brent Gibson, Covenant parents, Covenant Presbyterian Church, crime records, crime victims, Eric G. Osborne, Holland & Knight, manifesto, Mike Hagar, Robb Harvey, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, The Covenant School shooting, The Tennessean, Todd Gardenhire|0 Comments

The fight over the release of the Covenant School shooter's manifesto and other writings escalated Wednesday with state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, and The Tennessean filing a public records lawsuit against Metro Nashville, and unnamed Covenant School parents filing motions to intervene in the current cases. Also, Assistant Police Chief Mike Hagar and police Lt. Brent Gibson filed declarations that police are still trying to determine if the shooter had any assistance planning the shooting or purchasing the weapons, with Gibson stating that it will take about 12 months to finish the investigation.

10 May, 2023

Tennessee Star editor Leahy sues FBI for withholding Covenant shooter manifesto
Gallery
Tennessee Star editor Leahy sues FBI for withholding Covenant shooter manifesto

crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee

Tennessee Star editor Leahy sues FBI for withholding Covenant shooter manifesto

By Deborah Fisher|2023-05-10T11:45:36-05:00May 10, 2023|Categories: crime records, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Audrey Hale, crime records, FBI, Freedom of Information Act, manifesto, Michael Patrick Leahy, Star News Digital Media, Tennessee Star Report, The Covenant School shooting, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty|0 Comments

Tennessee Star editor Michael Patrick Leahy and his company, Star News Digital Media, Inc., filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the FBI for withholding the Covenant School shooter's manifesto under the Freedom of Information Act. The FBI denied access to the manifesto, which it received from Nashville police, saying that it and other writings by the shooter were involved in a "pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding" and that release could interfere with a law enforcement proceeding.

30 Jan, 2023

Citizens deserve access to police video even when people don’t die
Gallery
Citizens deserve access to police video even when people don’t die

crime records, Legislature

Citizens deserve access to police video even when people don’t die

By Deborah Fisher|2023-01-30T18:09:54-06:00January 30, 2023|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: body cameras, crime records, fees for public records, police body cameras, redactions, Tyre Nichols, use of force|0 Comments

If the video footage from the Tyre Nichols beating in Memphis tells us anything, it’s that we need to keep protecting the tools that allow public accountability for corruption.

25 Feb, 2022

Body camera public record exemption needs update for more accountability

By Deborah Fisher|2022-02-28T09:43:03-06:00February 25, 2022|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature|Tags: body cameras, crime records|2 Comments

An exemption passed in 2017 makes certain video footage captured by law enforcement body cameras confidential. The exemption is set to expire this year. And instead of renewing the exemption, we need to review its obvious problems.