And Folks Get Paid For This?

Earlier today, a judge rejected a request to throw out the News Sentinel's lawsuit against Knox County and the Knox County Commission for violating the Sunshine Law:

Deputy Law Director Mary Ann Stackhouse had argued that a quorum of 10 commissioners would have been required to meet in secret to violate the act, which is commonly known as the state sunshine law.

Fansler ruled, however, that the act does not require any such quorum in order for a meeting between commissioners to violate the spirit of the law.

Is that correct? I have nothing against Ms. Stackhouse and know nothing about her, but if the Act is that unambiguous...if there is indeed nothing in it that specifies a *minimum number of commissioners needed to satisfy the Sunshine Law....then why bring it up?

Seriously, that's the best defense you can come up with, to make something up about the law and protest it?

Let's say I was caught stealing a television from a local store. What would a judge say if my attorney requested the charges be dropped because the law states stealing televisions is ok as long as it's done on a Tuesday, after 9pm, and only if the defendant is wearing a green shirt. The judge would probably bar the attorney from the courtroom and advise me to seek more experienced legal counsel.

Again, nothing against Ms. Stackhouse - I don't know who's making the decisions in the County legal machine - but if that's the best we can come up with....good grief.

---

* On a related note, I just need to say that the most fun word to type on a computer keyboard, if you're a touch-typist like me, is "minimum". There, I'll do it again. minimum minimum mimnimum. You just type it with one hand, which is cool. Sometimes you misspell it, but that's ok. :)