Rebecca Alexander

21 May, 2024

Lawmakers retain public inspection of autopsy reports of minors, but prohibit release of copies

By |2024-05-21T10:12:48-05:00May 21, 2024|Categories: crime records, Legislature|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

A contentious bill to close autopsy reports of minors whose cause of death is listed as a homicide ended up with a compromise: Copies cannot be released but a person can still inspect such reports in person. The bill was first introduced in the special session called by the governor in the wake of the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville in which six people were killed, including three children. The parents of at least one of the children was deeply alarmed that the autopsy report of her child could be released to the public. The bill got stuck in the Senate during the special session and was reintroduced in 2024. It passed with the amendment, a compromise sought by TCOG and news media organizations.

26 Apr, 2024

Quick take on open government wins, losses at 2024 legislature

By |2024-04-26T12:13:02-05:00April 26, 2024|Categories: Legislature|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Lawmakers handed open government some wins and losses during the session that ended Thursday. Among the wins was a bill by state Rep. Susan Lynn to add muscle to the Sunshine Law by allowing recovery of attorney fees and reasonable costs when a citizen prevails in an open meetings lawsuit.

7 Feb, 2024

Autopsies of murdered children would become confidential under bill passed by subcommittee

By |2024-02-07T08:36:45-06:00February 7, 2024|Categories: crime records, Legislature, Public Records|Tags: , , , , |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.

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