Tennessee Appeals Court Upholds Covenant School’s Right to Contest Shooter’s Writings Release

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Judge’s decision follows unauthorized leak of some documents that resulted in seven officers being placed on administrative duty pending a probe into the leak.

In the first court ruling since the summer in the public records lawsuit seeking to force the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to release the writings left behind by the March 27 Covenant School shooter, the Tennessee Court of Appeals bolstered the efforts of those seeking to keep the shooter’s writings confidential in a Thursday ruling.

The court upheld a lower court’s ruling that allowed various parties, including the families of victims, to intervene as third-party participants in the public records lawsuit filed by various individuals, media organizations, and other interested organizations.

This ruling supports the earlier decision of a lower court, made by Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles, acknowledging the sensitive nature of the documents and their potential impact.

The court specifically stated that the trial court allowed intervention using the reasoning that the church and the school had a vested interest in the case.

“The court noted that these parties sought to protect private information to which Petitioners would not normally have access inasmuch as the Church and the School were private entities,” Judge Thomas Frierson wrote in the court’s unanimous opinion.

“The court also relied upon the affidavits filed by Metro establishing that an active, ongoing criminal investigation existed regarding potential coconspirators.”

Additionally, the higher court agreed that “irreparable injury would occur if there were public access to the private information contained in the records at issue” and acknowledged the shared legal and factual questions between the parents and other parties, justifying their intervention.

Arguments in the lower court over the case’s merits, which have yet to be argued as the appeal played out, can begin as soon as the next hearing is set. Those proceedings in the lower court have been on pause since June.

Court Ruling Implications

The Appeals Court’s decision is a crucial development in the debate over public access to sensitive information and the rights of victims and affected communities in the state.

The court disagreed with one of the key arguments of the petitioners seeking access to the records, which was that the state’s public records act does not permit the intervention of third parties in related litigation because the dispute is strictly between the person seeking the records and the entity holding the records.

By Chase Smith

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Doxed Democrats Are Getting Fired Left and Left

Not a misprint because a title of “left and...

Hold Up, Feds, Without Federalism, There Is No USA

Federalism is essential to governing the U.S., yet the federal government is undermining it by bribing states to implement unnecessary federal programs.

A Widow Inspires The World

Erika Kirk moved the nation with her speech two days after her husband’s assassination, vowing to continue his mission and grow Turning Point USA.

Both Left and Right Are Making Lists

The right admired Charlie Kirk for his faith and patriotism, while the left opposed him for dismantling their positions and narratives with ease.

Redemption’s playbook: The Senior

The Senior isn’t your usual underdog tale, it’s real, it’s raw, and it flips every cliché on its head with a playbook full of grit and plenty of aftermaths.

FBI Looking Into Other Possible Charlie Kirk Assassination Accomplices: Deputy Director Bongino

FBI Deputy Dir. Dan Bongino said that the FBI is “looking into” other possible accomplices in the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

Actor Sean Astin, Known for ‘Rudy,’ ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Elected SAG-AFTRA President

Oscar-nominated actor Sean Astin, famed for Samwise in “Lord of the Rings,” has been elected as the new president of SAG-AFTRA.

RFK Jr. Names New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named 5 new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccines.

Kash Patel Confirms DNA Evidence Match in Kirk Assassination, Reveals Details of Note

DNA evidence matching that of Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer was found at the crime scene, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Sept. 15.

Trump Signs Memo Targeting Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising

President Trump signed a memo to ensure drug ads give fair, balanced, and complete information to protect and inform American consumers.

Trump Runs out of Patience With China, Sharpens His Words

President Donald Trump’s recent remarks targeting China and its allies mark a noticeable shift in tone.

Trump Signs Order Renaming Department of Defense as Department of War

President Donald Trump on Sept. 5 signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War.

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Countries That Unlawfully Detain Americans

President Trump signed an EO on targeting the unlawful detention of American citizens around the world and to facilitate the release of hostages.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central