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U.S. Supreme Court denies The Center Square's open meetings case
The Supreme Court's refusal leaves intact a ruling allowing Tennessee Judicial Advisory Commission meetings to remain closed despite 35 years of public access.
- The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review McCaleb v. Long after The Center Square appealed, ending its bid for a First Amendment access ruling on government proceedings.
- In 2018, the Tennessee Judicial Advisory Commission closed public meetings after a disruption despite 35 years of openness, prompting the Liberty Justice Center to sue on behalf of Dan McCaleb, The Center Square's chief content officer.
- A federal district court initially ruled for The Center Square in March 2023, but reversed course in November 2024, holding that no broad First Amendment right to access government proceedings exists.
- Advocates argued that blocking press and public access undermines transparency; former Liberty Justice Center Senior Counsel Buck Dougherty invoked the principle that "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."
- In September 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district-court reversal, establishing appellate precedent that generally no First Amendment right exists to access information government chooses to keep private.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left2Leaning Right6Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Right
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
L 17%
C 33%
R 50%
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