The judge hearing lawsuits demanding the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department release the Covenant School killer’s manifesto has pushed back a show cause hearing on the litigation as MNPD attempts to maneuver around Tennessee’s public record laws.
It appears the police department and its attorneys are going to try to bury the plaintiffs — and the court — in paper.
Tennessee 20th Judicial District Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles originally had ordered a show cause hearing for May 11 to examine whether the MNPD has failed to comply with public records laws.
At a hearing Wednesday afternoon with plaintiffs’ representatives and MNPD legal counsel, Myles scheduled a status conference hearing for 1 p.m. May 18, and extended the show cause hearing to June 8, also at 1 p.m., according to an attorney who attended the hearing.
The judge also consolidated two public records lawsuits seeking the manifesto into one case.
Attorneys for the government claim they want to give the opportunity for family members of the six victims killed in the March 27 school shootings to oppose public access to the documents, if they so choose.
Douglas Pierce, attorney for private investigator Clata Renee Brewer, one of four plaintiffs in lawsuits seeking the release of killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto, said there have been no reports of the victims’ families opposing the public records requests.
“This is coming only from Metro Nashville,” he told The Tennessee Star.
It appears to be another “roadblock,” Pierce said, in the pursuit of the manifesto, journals and other writings to learn what was going through the mind of Hale — a 28-year-old woman who reportedly identified as a transgender male — before she walked into the private elementary school and shot dead three 9-year-olds and three staff members.
The attorney said MNPD will present some of the materials referred to as Hale’s manifesto to the judge to review, with other records taking longer to present to the court. Pierce said he believes documents will be released to the public slowly, on a staggered basis.
Earlier Wednesday, the police department said it would not release the Covenant Presbyterian School killer’s manifesto and related documents because of the lawsuits.
“Covenant investigation update: Due to pending litigation filed this week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been advised by counsel to hold in abeyance the release of records related to the shooting at The Covenant School pending orders or direction of the court,” MNPD stated in a tweet Wednesday morning.
As The Star first reported Tuesday, the National Police Association filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County demanding the release of Hale’s journals.
It’s at least the third legal action seeking what has been described as Hale’s “blueprint of destruction,” journals, postings, and other documents detailing her deadly motives.
The lawsuit was filed late last week in the Chancery Court for Davidson County, 20th Judicial District, by the Police Association and Brewer. It seeks the prompt release of Hale’s manifesto and related documents that Metro Nashville has “failed and refused to produce” under the Tennessee Public Records Act. MNPD has denied public records requests from both plaintiffs.
The complaint also asks the court to rule the government’s refusal to promptly produce the records “has been done knowingly, willfully, and deliberately.”
Brewer and the police association are making the same argument as the Tennessee Firearms Association and former Hamilton County Sheriff James Hammond have cited in their lawsuit, filed Monday in the same Chancery Court: That the Metro Nashville Police Department can’t hide critical records related to a mass shooting under the protection of Rule 16 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. Rule 16 prohibits disclosure of certain records if there’s an open case.
But there is no criminal prosecution concerning the mass shootings more than a month ago, “and despite extensive media coverage, including interviews of public officials, no one has suggested that there will be any criminal prosecution because of the incident,” the lawsuit states.
That’s because Hale, who stormed into the private elementary school and shot and killed three 9-year-olds and three staff members, was fatally shot by Nashville police officers shortly after Hale began her attack.
Pierce called the police department’s announcement that it will hold up the release of the records while the lawsuits proceed “the ultimate Catch-22.”
“On the one hand, it’s a fallback position, a cover for them,” the attorney said. “They say it’s in the court’s hands, but I don’t think they have that right.”
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Police Chief John Drake” by Metro Nashville Police Department.
Megaphone Jones sure gets around. Interesting Jones and Johnson there. Same ones that demand police review boards….now back the police covering up crime. Interesting isn’t it?
Has the FBI finished creating the Trannyfesto? Explained the 5 laptops and 7 cell phones? Two pairs of shoes worn by the shooter on the video? Are there accomplices/FBI handlers that would be identified? The mastermind, super-detailed plan too dangerous for us to see apparently didn’t account for encountering a single armed resistor.
The gun-free zone soft target lobbied, created and maintained by mayors-against-guns Haslam, Lockdown Lee, the THP, the TN Sheriff’s Association and the 13 years of Republican supermajority works just like expected. The legislators and “law enforcement” that keep pushing the already existing unconstitutional “laws” and disarming law-abiding citizens should also be liable for the protection of their created gun free zones, just as they expect posted businesses to be.
Tennessee law does not allow a victim to decide if a record is to be public or not. The TPRL is very clear. IT IS A PUBLIC RECORD.
A public record cannot be held back pending a civil suit, only if pending a criminal prosecution, and there is none.
Failure to produce a public record to a citizen of TN results in a fine, not just to the city but to individuals.
Sadly, the sketchy actions of the leadership of the MNPD has overshadowed the heroics of its line officers. The Democrat one party rule of Nashville is showing its true colors.
Maybe they should begin by stopping the practice of the Mayor’s office politically assigning/determining who will be the Police Chief. Maybe they should go the electorial route and elect a chief.
Right now it’s political patronage at its finest.
Some info for your consideration: A good site to “go deep” https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/05/04/position-reversed-again-nashville-police-refuse-to-release-transgender-audrey-hale-christian-murder-manifesto/
TYRANNY IN OUR FACE
Judges are elected by the entire Davidson County Voters. Judge Myles was elected in 2022. If I’m not mistaken, her term is for 8 years.
I think it’s time for our TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY to look at legislation shortening the terms of our Judges. After 8 years, people forget which judge did what ruling. After 8 years young people come into voting age, & they won’t even remember the horrific Covenant shooting.
What’s the punishment for elected & appointed officials who participate in a COVER-UP, which this apparently is.
The longer the delay, the more one wonders just WHO or WHAT are these people with temporary power protecting? Just because there is no prosecution in the case of the trangender murderer, there must be something or someone being protected. Could it be her Counselor? Or Someone in the Trans movement?
I sure want to encourage those suing for these Publuc Records, continue their suits.
I know I’m plan to donate to the Tennessee Firearms Association to help cover their legal fees.
If citizens in Tennessee are concerned about this cover up & a Governor threatening to call a Special Session of our State Legislature to consider RED FLAG LAWS. We the taxpayers have to pay for a Special Session, just like we have to pay for a Special Election for two Expelled Legislators, who disrupted a Government Proceeding while the House was in session. Isn’t this exactly what the Jan 6 defendants are being charged with in the Corrupt DC Justice System? They’ve been rotting in the inhumane DC Jail some of them for over 2 years.
Sounds like Tyranny to me right here in Nashville.
We cannot allow this. THEY WORK FOR US. WE PAY FOR THEIR EXORBITANT SALARIES, HEALTH & LIFE INSURANCE & PENSIONS.
WE CANNOT GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF POWER.
WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO TREAT WE THE PEOPLE WITH SUCH DISREGARD & DISREPECT.
WE MATTER DAMMIT.
This clearly stinks of liberal interference. The mentally deranged woman who was pretending to be a man has no right to be protected by holding the documents SHE wrote that give insight into HER twisted mind.
This whole gender confusion and socially excepted practice of pretending you are another sex (or no sex) is just another tool the liberal democrats are using to tear our nation apart. The liberal mindset under the Biden administration is so unbelievably immoral and anti-American, and it’s unbelievable that they continue to get away with it. When is the Biden crime family going to be brought to justice? The FBI and CIA are now as corrupt as the Bidens. The democrats have turned election cheating into an accepted practice. And all the while we have the continuing immorality of the LGBTQXYZ movement and the acceptance of abortion up to the time of birth. When is this lunacy going to end? Probably when Biden has started World War Three with the nuclear annihilation of America.
Once the feds step in, the investigation is over. They take the critical evidence, threaten the local police chief, and then it’s done.
Go look into the Las Vegas mass shooting from years back. The official story contradicted the evidence, photos, videos, and eye witness accounts. Watch video of the local police chief before the feds arrived, then compare it with after they joined in to “help.” Look at who was standing over the police chief’s shoulder eyeballing him when his story changed. They cremated the accused sole shooter way before the autopsy was released, then when it didn’t make sense… oh well, too late to re-examine.
Look at Epstein, the fbi had witness victim accounts over a decade ago and did nothing to stop him from sex trafficing young girls.
Look at Hunter Biden’s laptop, where did it go? Fbi has it. The feds claimed it was fake, Russian propaganda, but it’s well known to be true now.
It’s time to assert the independence of the States.
It’s time to outlaw all sexually perverse propaganda on tv, internet, movies, etc.
It’s time to pull the licenses of the mega media corporations for spreading lies and filth.
It’s time to secure the borders of TN.