NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Attorneys for the Corrections Corporation of America told members of the state Court of Appeals that their legal settlements should not be subject to Tennessee's Open Records laws.

Alex Friedmann, editor of a national prison magazine, first requested records from the Nashville-based private prison company in 2007. The Court of Appeals ruled in 2009 that CCA is subject to public records requests because it performs a governmental function by running prisons and jails.

The company turned over some of the requested documents but not its settlement agreements.

In court on Tuesday, CCA attorney Jason Callen argued that the settlements do not fit within the legal definition of a public record.

Friedmann said after the hearing that the public has a right to know what CCA does with taxpayer money.