Records access sought in case of inmate who severed penis

By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee judge is promising to rule quickly on whether to grant public access to records detailing the treatment of a death row prisoner who cut off his penis while on a suicide watch. In a lawsuit filed in Nashville, inmate Henry Hodges has accused the state of mistreatment and inadequate medical and mental health care. The state sought a court order against public disclosure of broad categories of documents, including all prison videos, saying that poses a security risk. The Associated Press and the Nashville Banner are requesting the records be open. News organizations argued in court Friday that the state hasn’t shown how the videos would harm security.