A Nashville judge is weighing the decision on whether to release writings from the shooter in last year's Covenant School tragedy, which saw six people killed. Davidson County Chancery Court Judge I'Ashea Myles indicated the outcome could shape public records law in Tennessee, as reported by WPLN.
"It will be case precedent," Myles said after the two-day hearing concluded in court. The delicate balance of public interest and privacy rights was tested in this case, where five parties are pushing for the shooter's records to be made public. Meanwhile, those associated with The Covenant School want to keep the writings under wraps, going as far as to claim copyright ownership, a twist disclosed in the proceedings.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department had initially withheld the shooter's documents from the public, citing an open criminal investigation. The case took a turn when, as per NewsChannel 5, Covenant affiliates argued that the shooter's writings now belonged to them as copyrighted material. This development put on hold Metro's decision to release any information.
The mystery of the shooter's writings, which so far have been viewed only by the judge and Metro police, has deepened with the new copyright claim. According to the Milford Mirror, Judge Myles is seeking further information on how federal copyright law interacts with Tennessee's Public Records Act. The court heard from eight attorneys, none of whom specialized in copyright law, and their responses did not appear to clarify the situation.
While the final decision is under advisement, Judge Myles, expressing her personal grief over the tragedy, stressed her role was to interpret the law rather than to weigh personal feelings. "My heart grieves for the parents and children and the victims who fell prey to this. I want you all to know I am sorry," Myles told NewsChannel 5. The forthcoming ruling is expected to set a legal precedent, one that will emerge from a case marked by an unprecedented claim of intellectual property over a criminal's written legacy.
