In Tennessee, certain investigative records are off-limits to the public due to missing comma

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the end, the Tennessee Attorney General says the argument all comes down to the lack of a comma.

The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/1N7oFeI ) reports that Attorney General Herbert Slatery issued an Aug. 25 opinion that says a city council cannot request the results of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report because of a law that says such records should be released “only in compliance with a subpoena or an order of a court of record.”

He says the lack of a comma after the word “subpoena,” means that either a subpoena or an order must come from a court.

The decision comes amid growing concern among legislators over whether such records, especially when they are related to police using deadly force, should be subject to public review.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com

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