TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Jun 13, 2022

The Center Square, a national news organization with operations in Tennessee, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), claiming the Tennessee Judicial Conference’s blanket closure of meetings violates the First Amendment rights of access. The organization asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction so that it can attend and cover the conference, set to begin Wednesday in Franklin. AOC Director Michelle Long in February established a new blanket closure policy that prohibits members of the press from attending. The lawsuit claims this policy cannot overcome the rights of access to judicial proceedings provided under the First Amendment. Read more on the story from Tennessee Coalition for Open Government.