NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At long last, the fate of the Covenant school shooter's writings may finally be decided.
Teams of high-powered lawyers will be in court beginning this week arguing over whether the controversial journals should finally be made public.
But it's possible the judge's decision may not be the final say.
The drama over the hundreds of pages of journals written by the Covenant school shooter will play out here in Chancery Court.
No witnesses. No jury. Just lawyers making legal arguments before the judge.
"I think we may see some potential surprises as we watch these legal arguments," Newschannel5 legal analyst Nick Leonardo said.
But first, let's talk about what we know.
The plaintiffs are asking to release the shooter's writings — arguing the documents should be made public under the Tennessee Public Records Act.
They say it's important to help understand how and why the shooting happened at Covenant School last year.
Six people including three students were killed along with the shooter.
On the other side, Covenant parents oppose the release saying the writings could inspire future school shootings and would re-traumatize the students who just returned to the Covenant school this week.
"To go and say we don't want something released you have to have a good lawyer because that doesn't happen every day ... and those who want it released are putting together their lawyers," Leonardo said.
The Chancery Court judge will hear arguments and decide. However, Leonardo says filings in Probate Court may give a hint at something else in play.
The parents of the Covenant School shooter have transferred all rights to the shooter's writings to the Covenant victims.
"Let's say the owner's trademark or copyright or put a federal stamp on it."
Leonardo says if something like that were to happen the copyrighted personal property would not be made public, but simply be returned to the owner's control.
That could turn out to be one of the potentially several surprises that emerge during the hearing scheduled to last at least two days here beginning Tuesday.
Their hearings begin tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Nick Beres and legal analyst Nick Leonardo will start our coverage on MorningLine and then we will stream the entire hearing at Newschannel5 on Facebook.
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