Knoxville News Sentinel

9 Aug, 2014

Why refusing to release a police incident report is a problem

By |2014-08-09T15:20:16-05:00August 9, 2014|Categories: crime records|Tags: , , |0 Comments

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported today that Oak Ridge officials have refused to release a police incident report in a case in which two officers fired four gunshots at a suicidal woman. This is the second time in recent weeks that journalist Bob Fowler has reported that the police department has refused to give media a copy of an incident report in a situation involving or possibly involving police. The other was in a case in which a woman said she was sexually assaulted by someone who appeared to be a police officer or security guard. In both instances, the Oak Ridge police released some information through a press release. [...]

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14 Jul, 2014

Newspapers delve into alleged Sunshine Law violations in zoning vote

By |2014-07-14T16:10:21-05:00July 14, 2014|Categories: Open Meetings, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

The Knoxville News Sentinel in its Sunday edition digs into a lawsuit alleging violations of the Open Meetings Act in Greene County when approval was given to rezone land for a company that planned to make components for industrial explosives. The Greeneville Sun has also covered the lawsuit involving US Nitrogen extensively as well as reported stories on the plant's construction, application for permits and environmental opposition. Its stories can be found at this link. The Knoxnews.com article is reprinted here, with permission. You can read TCOG's column about the state's open government laws regarding economic development here. By Hugh G. Willett Special to the News Sentinel  GREENEVILLE — The future [...]

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18 Jun, 2014

Knoxville News Sentinel: Oak Ridge police deny access to incident report

By |2014-06-18T15:29:07-05:00June 18, 2014|Categories: crime records|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

The Knoxville News Sentinel explores whether police incident reports, also called offense reports, should be subject to the Tennessee Public Records Act and open for public view. The story was sparked when Oak Ridge police denied the News Sentinel's request to view an incident report related to an alleged sexual assault of a woman by someone "who appeared to be a police officer or security guard." Police say the alleged crime is under investigation so the report is protected from disclosure. TCOG is quoted, as well as Office of Open Records Counsel Elisha Hodge. Here's a link to the story.          

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29 May, 2014

News-Sentinel: Adequate public notice of meeting at issue in Loudon County

By |2014-05-29T14:19:07-05:00May 29, 2014|Categories: adequate public notice|Tags: , , |0 Comments

The Office of Open Records Counsel told Louden  County it appears to have violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act when it held a budget committee meeting earlier this month without giving adequate public notice. A local activist filed the complaint with the office, triggering the review and a letter to the county. Here is a copy of the Knoxville News-Sentinel story, reprinted with permission: By Hugh G. Willett Wednesday, May 28, 2014 LOUDON — A meeting of the Loudon County salary and budget committee earlier this month may have been held in violation of the state open meetings law, according to the state comptroller’s office. During the meeting, which was [...]

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31 Mar, 2014

News Sentinel: Ruling affirms broad definition of public records

By |2015-08-18T08:11:54-05:00March 31, 2014|Categories: email, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: , , , |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 [...]

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