Tennessee Supreme Court Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

11 Sep, 2018

Should reporters censor information from government proceedings? Of course not

By Deborah Fisher|2018-09-12T12:21:42-05:00September 11, 2018|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: court records, fair report privilege, Glenn Funk, libel law, Phil Williams, Tennessee Supreme Court|0 Comments

Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk (right) is suing NewsChannel 5 reporter Phil Williams (left), saying Williams' reporting damaged his reputation. The case is headed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a test over the state's fair report privilege. The Tennessee Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Oct. 4 in an important case involving state libel laws and a free press. The appeal before the state’s highest court is a test of the state's fair report privilege. On a practical level, this privilege, which is recognized in every state’s laws, protects journalists from libel claims when they are reporting on official proceedings — such as court cases [...]

24 Apr, 2017

Proposed rule change could erode access to court records, lawyers say

By Deborah Fisher|2017-04-25T07:44:42-05:00April 24, 2017|Categories: court records|Tags: court records, Doug Pierce, John Williams, Rick Hollow, Robb Harvey, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Supreme Court|0 Comments

Some of the state’s leading news media attorneys are concerned that a proposed expansion of rules on public access to court records in Tennessee is overly broad and could erode access at the trial court level. The proposed change to the Tennessee Supreme Court rules would expand exemptions to the lower courts with language that one lawyer says is "vague to the point of potential constitutional infirmity." (Gavel illustration by www.weisspaarz.com, licensed under CC BY SA-2.0) The Tennessee Supreme Court has proposed changing Rule 34 “Policies and Guidelines Regarding Appellate Judicial Records,” which defines certain court records not open for inspection, such as unpublished drafts of judicial orders and [...]

28 Mar, 2016

News-Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy on police records and the Supreme Court decision

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T08:47:25-05:00March 28, 2016|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: crime records, Jack McElroy, Tennessee Supreme Court|0 Comments

From Jack McElroy, editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel, in a column published Sunday: Jack McElroy Boy, did Gary Wade touch a nerve. The former Supreme Court justice dissented in the media's lawsuit to see police records in the Vanderbilt rape case, and that really hacked off his fellow justices. First, some background. The Tennessee Public Records Act declares that all records are open to the public, "unless otherwise provided by state law." The Legislature has passed scores of exemptions. But "state law" also includes the constitution, court rulings, common law, and regulations based on law. In the Vanderbilt case, the News Sentinel joined a coalition seeking information [...]

17 Mar, 2016

Tennessee Supreme Court says police records in active cases may be withheld from the public

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T08:47:57-05:00March 17, 2016|Categories: crime records, investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: crime records, Justice Gary Wade, Justice Holly Kirby, Justice Sharon Lee, Tennessee Supreme Court, The Tennessean|0 Comments

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that any record that is part of an active police department’s criminal investigation may be withheld under the state's public records laws. Justice Sharon Lee The opinion written by Chief Justice Sharon G. Lee gave only brief nod to the media’s role in reporting about crime and law enforcement. Instead, she said the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, which are written by the Tennessee Supreme Court, govern access to police files until a criminal case is over and all appeals are exhausted. “The media plays an important and necessary role in holding government officials accountable. Yet, the General Assembly has rightly recognized that [...]

24 Jul, 2015

TBA urges change in proposed rules for media coverage in courtrooms

By Deborah Fisher|2015-08-18T07:16:32-05:00July 24, 2015|Categories: Open Courts|Tags: court coverage, courtroom access, John Williams, Lucian Pera, Rule 30, Tennessee Supreme Court|1 Comment

The Tennessee Bar Association applauded the Tennessee Supreme Court's initiative to update its rules on media coverage in courtrooms in comments filed Thursday, but suggested changes to the court's proposal regarding usage of electronic devices like laptops and smartphones. At issue are the court's proposed changes to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 30, enacted in 1996, that govern the use of cameras in the courtroom by media. In general, the rule outlines guidelines designed to avoid disruption or distraction during courtroom proceedings while upholding the openness of Tennessee courts and providing media a process to request use of camera equipment in advance. In March, the Tennessee Supreme Court published proposed changes in [...]

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