Tennessee Supreme Court Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

2 Oct, 2020

Justice groups, TCOG ask Davidson County judges to allow public access to courts

By Deborah Fisher|2020-10-02T12:22:59-05:00October 2, 2020|Categories: Open Courts, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: Choosing Justice Initiative, courtroom access, COVID-19, Free Hearts, Judge Joe Binkley, Judge Mark Fishburn, Judge Sam Coleman, Nashville Community Bail Fund, Tennessee Supreme Court|0 Comments

Family members and friends of people with court proceedings have not been allowed to attend court proceedings at the A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, which houses criminal courts and general sessions courts. Citing examples of family members who have been turned away at the door, several criminal justice groups and Tennessee Coalition for Open Government asked Davidson County criminal court and general sessions judges Thursday to modify court plans to allow public access either in person or through video-conferencing. "We are writing today as representatives of a diverse group of public interest organizations, many of which work with court-involved individuals and their families, to respectfully ask that you modify the [...]

17 Jul, 2020

TN Supreme Court: We have not approved ‘outright ban’ on public access in state’s courts

By Deborah Fisher|2020-10-02T12:17:56-05:00July 17, 2020|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: court access, COVID-19, Tennessee Supreme Court|1 Comment

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday denied a joint petition of 56 organizations, including Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, that asked it to take action to protect public access to courts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff Bivins is chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. "At no time has the Court countenanced or approved an outright ban on public access to the courts. In fact, the Court has strongly encouraged all courts and judges to remain diligent in attempting to address public and media access," the Supreme Court said in its order. The petition was prompted after the state's 31 judicial district began turning in plans for resuming more in-person [...]

2 Jun, 2020

TCOG, 55 others ask TN Supreme Court to protect open courts during COVID-19

By Deborah Fisher|2020-06-02T11:30:01-05:00June 2, 2020|Categories: Open Courts, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings, judicial districts, Tennessee Supreme Court|1 Comment

The joint petition to the Tennessee Supreme Court asks the court to use its emergency powers to protect public and media access to court proceedings during COVID-19. Tennessee Coalition for Open Government and 55 other organizations and people ranging from news media to criminal justice groups to First Amendment experts have filed a petition with the Tennessee Supreme Court asking the court to take "immediate steps to protect the public's Constitutional and common law right of access to court proceedings" during the COVID-19 epidemic. Few of the 30 judicial district plans submitted and approved by the Supreme Court provide "any reasonable level of compliance" with the constitutional right of access, [...]

13 May, 2020

Most Tennessee COVID-19 court plans offer no provisions for public, media access

By Deborah Fisher|2020-07-14T11:17:18-05:00May 13, 2020|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: COVID-19, electronic meetings, judicial districts, Tennessee Supreme Court|1 Comment

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen H. Lyle (upper right in this April 30 proceeding) has a YouTube channel to stream electronic proceedings and gives the public information on how to access it. However, a review of 26 Judicial District COVID-19 plans shows that most courts in Tennessee have not provided plans on allowing public or press access to either in-person proceedings going forward or electronic proceedings. Most judicial districts that have submitted COVID-19 plans to the Tennessee Supreme Court to resume in-person proceedings — and increase electronic proceedings — offer no guidance on how their courts will operate transparently and openly going forward. A review of 26 judicial plans shows that [...]

5 Oct, 2018

Tennessee Supreme Court begins video of oral arguments

By Deborah Fisher|2018-10-05T11:36:51-05:00October 5, 2018|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins, meeting videotape, Tennessee Supreme Court|0 Comments

Tennessee Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins, seated; standing from left, Justice Holly Kirby, Justice Cornelia A. Clark, Justice Sharon G. Lee, and Justice Roger A. Page. The Tennessee Supreme Court this week began a new program to videotape oral arguments of its cases and to post them on its website for the public to see. This follows the Court's initiative to make audio recordings of oral arguments available on the website beginning five years ago. “There has been too much mystique about the Supreme Court for too long,” Chief Justice Jeff Bivins said in a press release. “This Supreme Court is committed to openness and [...]