NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Attorneys in the Covenant School public records case will finally head to a trial court on April 16 and make their arguments on whether a Davidson County Judge should order the public release of the school shooter’s writings and other investigative police records and communications.
A previous ruling allowed Covenant parents, the church and the school to join the case and argue against the writings being released publicly. They argued that publically releasing the writings would harm the children who lived through the shooting as well as their families. The ruling was appealed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
The higher court upheld the decision that withheld the writings from being released. Earlier in January, attorneys for the National Police Association and Clata Brewer asked for a date to be set for a "Show Cause hearing." In that hearing, lawyers from the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County will need to give legal reasons why the Covenant shooter's writings should not be released publicly, in accordance with the Tennessee Public Records Act.
During a hearing held Monday, a city lawyer told the court that the police investigation into the school shooting was still ongoing. Brewer's attorneys also asked the judge to publicize a log of people who had privileges to view confidential records at MNPD headquarters. The motion was denied.
The judge set aside two back-to-back days for the Show Cause hearing, set to start on April 16. It is expected to operate like a small trial without live witness testimony, and lawyers said they could present their cases in a single day. The court is expected to start at 10 a.m.
Earlier, a Conservative commentator leaked a small selection of unverified documents claimed to be written by the Covenant School shooter. According to NBC affiliate WSMV, a source confirmed the documents were by the shooter.
The Metro Nashville Police Department has not publicly released the shooter's writings. According to court documents obtained by the Associated Press, the shooter left behind at least 20 journals, a suicide note and a memoir.