Marc Perrusquia 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.

21 Jun, 2023

After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits
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After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits

public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests

After 2 1/2 years of delays, journalist files public records suit against Memphis over police audits

By Deborah Fisher|2023-06-21T09:47:12-05:00June 21, 2023|Categories: public records lawsuits Tennessee, requests|Tags: delays, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis Police, Paul McAdoo, public records requests|0 Comments

For 2 1/2 years, Memphis journalist Marc Perrusquia has received perfunctory communications from the city of Memphis that it is still reviewing and considering his records request, each time pushing the date for their response down the road. Perrusquia is asking for audits of a Memphis police program that provides intervention for officers who have exhibited behavior or performance problems. However, the city has stonewalled his request, contacting him 41 times over the 2 1/2 years extending the "time necessary" to complete the request. Now he has filed a lawsuit challenging those delays and in an effort to shake loose the audits.

2 May, 2022

Journalist sues Memphis to gain access to police performance improvement plans
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Journalist sues Memphis to gain access to police performance improvement plans

Public Records

Journalist sues Memphis to gain access to police performance improvement plans

By Deborah Fisher|2022-05-05T14:09:42-05:00May 2, 2022|Categories: Public Records|Tags: Local Legal Initiative, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis, Memphis Police, Paul McAdoo, performance improvement plans, personnel records, police records|0 Comments

Marc Perrusquia, a journalist whose reporting has exposed problems in the Memphis police department, has filed a lawsuit challenging the city's denial of access to documents that would show how the city responded to a history of trouble with three officers.

9 Jul, 2020

Memphis police limits media requests to view public records to one journalist per day

By Deborah Fisher|2020-10-02T12:17:08-05:00July 9, 2020|Categories: requests|Tags: COVID-19, excessive force complaints, inspection, Institute for Public Service Reporting, Marc Perrusquia, Memphis Police, public records requests|0 Comments

The Memphis police department is limiting journalists who want to view its public records, allowing only one media appointment per day and limiting that appointment to three hours. Mark Perrusquia learned that he could only inspect records a maximum of twice a week at the Memphis Police Department, slowing his review of five years of excessive force reports. Now, police are limiting access even further, saying they'll only allow one journalist per day. Marc Perrusquia, a longtime Memphis journalist at The Commercial Appeal and now director of the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis, in early June requested copies of excessive report complaints against Memphis police [...]