TN appellate court rules in PLN's public records suit against CCA
Associated Press, Jan. 1, 2009.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/2009080...
TN appellate court rules in PLN's public records suit against CCA - Associated Press 2009
August 7, 2009
Prison firm loses open records case
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that private prison company Corrections Corporation of America is subject to Tennessee's open records law.
The Nashville-based company falls under the act because it performs the equivalent of a government agency by running state prisons, the court opinion said.
The ruling came as a result of a dispute between CCA and an editor of a national prison magazine seeking records on the company.
Alex Friedmann, a former prisoner who is now an editor at Prison Legal News, sent a letter to CCA in April 2007 asking for information on settlements, judgments and complaints against the company.
He sued CCA when the company refused to turn over the information, claiming it wasn't subject to the open records law.
Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman sided with Friedmann and ordered the company to turn over most of the records.
CCA appealed, arguing once again that it wasn't subject to the law.
August 7, 2009
Prison firm loses open records case
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled that private prison company Corrections Corporation of America is subject to Tennessee's open records law.
The Nashville-based company falls under the act because it performs the equivalent of a government agency by running state prisons, the court opinion said.
The ruling came as a result of a dispute between CCA and an editor of a national prison magazine seeking records on the company.
Alex Friedmann, a former prisoner who is now an editor at Prison Legal News, sent a letter to CCA in April 2007 asking for information on settlements, judgments and complaints against the company.
He sued CCA when the company refused to turn over the information, claiming it wasn't subject to the open records law.
Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman sided with Friedmann and ordered the company to turn over most of the records.
CCA appealed, arguing once again that it wasn't subject to the law.