MLK50: Justice Through Journalism and other media have won access to juvenile court delinquency proceedings after filing a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2025 on behalf of MLK50, The Daily Memphian, The Commercial Appeal and WREG. It asserted that the juvenile court of Memphis and Shelby County and Juvenile Court Judge Tarik B. Sugarmon were violating the Tennessee Rule of Juvenile Practice & Procedure Rule, which governs access to juvenile court.
The rule says that “[d]ependent and neglect cases shall not be open to the public,” but “[d]elinquent and unruly cases are open to the public.” But the court had adopted a policy — that doesn’t appear to be documented anywhere — requiring the press and public to submit a request, 48 hours in advance, to attend a hearing relating to specific youth and obtain permission from the court and Sugarmon.
The media coalition sought an injunction to prevent the juvenile court from requiring reporters to seek permission before attending delinquency hearings. The chancery court of Tennessee’s 13th judicial district granted the injunction, allowing reporters to attend the hearings unless the Court closes a courtroom for a particular matter. The provisions for exclusion are spelled out in Rule 114.
“This ruling is a win for not just the press, but the public, which has a right to see how juvenile court is running hearings that involve Shelby County children,” said Charity Scott, MLK50’s managing editor. “We’re pleased that the court affirmed that right.”
Paul McAdoo, Tennessee local legal initiative attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, represented the media coalition.
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