[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6270586,"mediaKeyId","3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0","parentId",3033369,"title","Community Review Board presses for transparency as outside investigator stays silent; contract terms disclosed","audioSeconds",126,"startMs",995000,"endMs",1121000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0&start=995&end=1121","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0/thumbnail_995000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6270586/Tennessee/Community-Review-Board-presses-for-transparency-as-outside-investigator-stays-silent-contract-terms-disclosed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270586-35e62d1c425029acc52e57f7e4cd6669/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961176&Signature=RA2sC~xzCYvB9Rk4R5GDnnO7tpKelwEJH4imKniHi5KurVI1J3Qaifk7hkZrIhwwY~d0Ml9MxwdIYBoffXQx7hUPx3u5KdcWGoS5ap4Oj9a2mO8uwWb~BUWwipDFa8QcXruZPUEQfCcKxEvypFaHKOfv8yMZASv8bp~yjhXRNT4KolJtlbYc2Kek9EPjT~uEKQEwEV-U8DeOLoIqUA28AqGeLZhIuG7xm~Ww4O99gVntrW81OMHnL7J08lRzUpsmPdAVxMwg4p4HhdzJq0bYxbytMvNtl1j2AkBLFznPKAB~BLC3SRs0q6yDrQ0i5QE0UsHm-RB6NfR0SMbTLZiqag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-04-17T06:15:41.007Z","article","The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Community Review Board on Wednesday pressed for transparency in a yearlong investigation handled by an outside law firm, saying the board and the public deserve at least a general update on progress and how much taxpayers are paying.

The board’s discussion centered on Butler Snow attorney Edward Stanton’s refusal to comment and on the engagement terms between the firm and Metro. “There is absolutely nothing new to report because attorney Ed Stanton has very consistently declined to make any comment,” a board representative said during the meeting. Board members said Stanton’s silence has left complainants and board members frustrated and uncertain about the investigation’s status.

Why it matters: The board is the public-facing oversight body that reviews complaints about the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Board members said the lack of routine updates has prolonged uncertainty for whistleblowers and families who expect timelier closure on cases.

Board members reviewed the engagement letter terms presented at the meeting and quoted hourly rates. According to the engagement language read into the record, Butler Snow will bill “based on the actual time spent on the engagement by Butler Snow’s attorneys and paraprofessionals at the hourly rate then in effect,” with Edward (Ed) Stanton billed at $535 per hour and Keenan Carter billed at $450 per hour. The letter also states billing rates are subject to annual adjustment and that the firm will bill the Metro Department of Law. The board asked whether the public can obtain the contract and a record of payments to date.

Board member Heather Boyle raised formal questions about public access to the contracting terms and fees and asked whether the contract and payments are public records because the firm is working with a government agency. An attorney advising the board said he had not yet reviewed the contract details but agreed those were “good questions to ask.”

Several board members urged the city to provide at least a non-substantive status statement to confirm the investigation remains active. “It would help to hear at a minimum our investigation is still in progress,” a board member said. Other board members said the investigator’s refusal to comment is similar to a grand jury’s customary secrecy and that there may be no legal mechanism to compel interim disclosures until the work is finished.

Legal context referenced during the meeting included a notice read at the start saying appeals from Community Review Board decisions may be taken to the Chancery Court of Davidson County under a common-law writ of certiorari and must be filed within 60 days of a final board decision, pursuant to section 2.68 0.03 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws.

Board members said they will ask Metro’s law department for the engagement letter, request an accounting of hours billed and payments to date, and consider ways to provide the public with a short procedural update while respecting any legal limits on interim disclosures. No formal motion or vote on a disclosure request was recorded during the meeting.

The discussion closed with repeated calls from board members for care in external communications and for work to continue behind the scenes with Metro’s legal staff to obtain contract and billing information that the board can share publicly without compromising the investigation or legal agreements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/16/25 Community Review Board Executive Committee","oneSentenceSummary","The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Community Review Board on Wednesday pressed for transparency in a yearlong investigation handled by an outside law firm, saying the board and the public deserve at least a general update on progress and how much taxpayers are paying.","taxTitle","Community Review Board Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69308,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6270575,"Board cites months-long delays for body-worn footage and seeks ARMS access; DA and MNPD to review memorandum",1090,1954000,3044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0&start=1954&end=3044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0/thumbnail_1954000.jpg","/articles/6270575/Tennessee/Board-cites-months-long-delays-for-body-worn-footage-and-seeks-ARMS-access-DA-and-MNPD-to-review-memorandum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270575-943e9a3f8943f9c9be2106a719dba421/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961176&Signature=N9gPU5XmtMdld2mbtSUEDzBTz1jmW~jOPQiwq-IaAgGJdGubDAVcoDjlGxwdZwMzhPjPdzSB4vS1dioRNRYz0NPGVUGnJwZKMNFMlOuTej~h9qbBhdE8bT2LGuLGSgB1mGq21mstSQ~5sbcOfieZhyN1sln1Fm6El7D4IvurD9SocNTEH-ZczRcQ-wqNXn75oUSbeBypJwDqt-ZsaCJOMjA6vWLfhdwqGR2MqMNcg9jFWr6TbOq2ovCEMPVrxiSROljdgYFyTYhDQf3HWBNm3TSzQcJ0Ta6qSl4Pqhir8HwICvi1bqbp~V1bXaJ83PmxdGkXhwu0bkMtKpm~mO1PzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members on Wednesday detailed repeated delays in receiving body-worn camera and in-car camera footage from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and said those delays create a bottleneck that prevents them from completing case reviews in a timely manner.

Why it matters: The board relies on camera footage and records to evaluate complaints and recommend dispositions. Members said delayed or heavily redacted evidence prolongs case timelines, frustrates complainants, and undermines public confidence in oversight.

Director Fitchard outlined a case timeline example in which the board requested records in December 2023 and did not receive body-worn footage until months after the Office of Professional Accountability completed its review. “We received it back from them in July. We requested the body worn camera footage the same day that we received it back. And we received the body worn camera…5 months after the OPA completed its investigation,” Director Fitchard said.

Board staff displayed a spreadsheet of case-level dates — intake, referral to OPA, OPA completion, records requests and body-worn delivery — and said the spreadsheet shows multiple instances of four- or five-month delays. Board members described instances in which entire case files were heavily redacted, leaving the board unable to review evidence.

The board’s legal adviser, Frank Brazil, said he has spoken with Metro legal staff (Cindy Gross and Wally Dietz) and that meetings are planned to resolve the five points raised in the board’s letter to MPD. Brazil said a shared, single-location spreadsheet will help document delays: “It’s going to be very helpful, to have everything in 1 place…We have multiple cases with 4 or 5 month delays of materials that are to be delivered when the case comes to us. That’s a real problem.”

Board members discussed legal paths to gain access comparable to a prosecutor’s Rule 16 review. Director Fitchard said she had met with District Attorney General Glenn Funk and that Funk “has no problem with us having access,” but that an old system-access agreement (ARMS) and a third-party vendor agreement might constrain implementation. The board located an October 2020 memorandum of understanding that references a District Attorney Office system access agreement dated Feb. 3, 2015, for MNPD’s advanced records management system (ARMS). The transcript indicates the 2015 agreement could affect how a new three-party MOU would be worded.

Board members asked for protective-order language and a draft MOU patterned on prior access arrangements the board had when it was a predecessor oversight body. They also asked staff to obtain any vendor contracts (Motorola, previously vendors such as Acxiom were referenced) that could limit access.

No formal vote was taken; board staff said they would schedule meetings with Metro legal staff and DA Funk’s office, draft proposed MOU language, and attempt to obtain vendor contracts and payment records to determine whether the board can receive unredacted materials under appropriate protective terms.","The Community Review Board described months-long delays and broad redactions in body-worn and in-car camera footage that have impeded case work, and discussed pursuing an MOU and protective order to gain the same records access prosecutors use.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6270581,"Grand jury report flags misconduct, recommends special prosecutor and restorative measures",212,1339000,1551000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0&start=1339&end=1551","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3033369-9a519843cc0c9e385927ac9dc03ef6a0/thumbnail_1339000.jpg","/articles/6270581/Tennessee/Grand-jury-report-flags-misconduct-recommends-special-prosecutor-and-restorative-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6270581-3829db0e1ff6e26549dbf65c5f0d323b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770961176&Signature=cPXpkaihLsOj3OWvN~u7D2M5mIroOlKrTo2yt~zEMy1hH1srwx2DHVneqrN7lLNFypStKcY8AJRHr5kv~C2mXl99aFjvl6iCJ2F3cJ086HnGhgMV-R1g6XMv0dJJ5fIyEdLJpAehF38kp2uP-7nqbTFDo95O6tDwQ07tp~gGrLzmkxg3ao-OJlLz1CKOT4L1FS~khufJRBigncyuKGSrW-AzCcL6-7S8Wezw40FfI1tq9y4yLsJxv~MlnSHJCFHXLkkQ50KGHj0haKS-3lzr9AkqmjEeJh8sVK58afJR4JbEshubxVzYW1WL2XFMnRyoOsFRyZCYO6VhTP-Tn1CPag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Community Review Board on Wednesday summarized and endorsed key findings from a January 2025 grand jury report that described patterns of misconduct, retaliation and biased treatment within the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

Why it matters: The grand jury report includes findings and recommendations that could affect disciplinary procedures, potential criminal or civil referrals, and community trust in policing practices.

A board representative read a prepared summary to the meeting, saying the report “raises serious concerns and offers targeted recommendations that fall squarely within the board’s oversight responsibilities.” The report, compiled after months of citizen-led inquiry, described testimony from former officers alleging favoritism, interference in internal investigations and suppression of dissent.

The grand jury recommended that the district attorney appoint a special prosecutor to investigate potential criminal and civil violations within the department. The report also recommended restorative-justice referrals: the jury referred 48 cases to the Grama Institute and urged empowering future juries to do the same.

The report highlighted systemic discrimination issues, including “racially charged language by officers” and disparate treatment of low-income communities, and criticized disciplinary systems that allow the police chief unilateral authority to assign sanctions in cases where the chief may be the subject of the complaint.

Board members described the report as well documented and said it echoes complaints raised in the board’s own caseload. “This report…reflects months of citizen led inquiry,” the board representative said, and the board reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with city leadership and the community on the report’s recommendations.

The board noted related developments cited in the grand jury report, including a reported Tennessee Bureau of Investigation search of the independent investigator’s office assigned to the Davidson whistleblower complaint; the grand jury said it had received no update on the status of that matter.

No formal action was taken during the meeting to adopt the grand jury’s recommendations as board policy; members said they would continue to pursue the report’s recommendations through collaboration with city leadership and other agencies.","A January 2025 grand jury report summarized to the Community Review Board documented alleged patterns of misconduct and recommended a special prosecutor and restorative-justice referrals; the board endorsed the report and its recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community Review Board presses for transparency as outside investigator stays silent; contract terms disclosed

Board cites months-long delays for body-worn footage and seeks ARMS access; DA and MNPD to review memorandum

Grand jury report flags misconduct, recommends special prosecutor and restorative measures