Open Records Suit Finds Home In Court
A trial date of May 19 -22, 2015 has been set for a lawsuit concerning open records that was filed by a group of citizens against the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and EDOC, as well as members of the Jefferson County Commission and officials. All pending motions in the case will be heard on January 20, 2015.
Prior to the January 20th date, depositions will be taken of the various defendants, including representatives of the Chamber, EDOC and County Commission and officials. Following a pass by several local courts, the Judge assigned to the case by the Administrative Office of the Courts of the Supreme Court of Tennessee is the Honorable Don Ash of Murfreesboro, TN.
The suit was filed following the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and EDOC refusal to open records after the failure of the proposed Megasite. Citizens filing suit contend that significant tax payer funding for the Chamber and EDOC subject them to open records. Scott Hurley, attorney for the plaintiffs, stated
“We are extremely pleased that the Administrative Office of the Courts has assigned a Judge to this case. We are looking forward to having the opportunity to present a case in Court seeking open government, open records and open meetings. We believe that the taxpayers deserve to know what is being done with their money, and we also believe that the law requires that information to be made public, and not held in secret.”
Reliable sources have indicated that the citizens that filed the lawsuit likely intend to seek the production of documents and financial information about the affairs of EDOC in the very near future, and also plan to seek depositions of EDOC, Chamber and County officials.