A Tennessee lawmaker wants to close public records in certain death investigations. The bill comes after the family of Naomi Judd pushed to conceal the release of information following her death.
A Senate bill filed last month would close public records of 911 recordings, documents, photographs, and some body camera footage in non-criminal death investigations.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said it’s important to balance privacy rights of the deceased with First Amendment rights of the press. t
“The release of audio, photographs or any other recordings taken inside of a private residence where a person tragically passed away — and when no crime was determined to have been committed — harms families and provides no benefit to the public,” said Johnson.
Open government advocates are already opposing the legislation calling it overly broad and worry it could be abused by authorities.
“We would be particularly concerned when police are investigating one of their own,” said Deborah Fisher with the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. “They would be able to announce no crime has occurred, thus closing all records of their investigation.”
The measure is believed to be related to the death investigation of country music star Naomi Judd, though Johnson did not confirm this. Judd died by suicide in her home in Williamson County in April.
Judd’s family filed a complaint against the county sheriffs office to stop the release of materials. That complaint was withdrawn after Johnson filed the legislation. However, the bill does not yet have a House Sponsor, which would be needed for it to pass.
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