Saying that Tennessee Court of Appeals judges appear to have misinterpreted several aspects of the law, attorneys for NewsChannel 5 and reporter Phil Williams are appealing the court's ruling that Williams may have presented General Sessions Judge Dan Eisenstein in a false light. The court, says Neal & Harwell's Ronald Harris, overlooked a key point in making its decision.

The filing claims that case law and U.S. Court of Appeals rulings have determined that a false statement is an “essential element” of false light. The petition also accuses the Court of Appeals decision of “conflicting with constitutional rights,” including freedom of speech.