Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
With the help of several talented and dedicated attorneys, Joel Chandler has won dozens of civil rights lawsuits. Beginning with his first civil rights lawsuit against the Polk County School Board in 2008 for violations of Florida's Public Records Act, Chandler has maintained a perfect win/loss record.
As a full-time civil rights advocate, Chandler, who is not an attorney, regularly directs audits of public agencies and government contractors for compliance with Article 1, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution and Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Florida's Public Records Act). He is also involved with First Amendment issues such as photographer's rights.
Chandler is currently the lead plaintiff in a Federal Class-Action Civil Rights lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation and one of its contractors, Faneuil, Inc.
In addition to civil rights advocacy, Chandler also works with whistleblowers to investigate the corruption of government contractors.
In 2009 the Governor's Commission On Open Government Reform delivered a 194 page report that opined "...the burden of enforcing violations of Florida's open meetings and public records laws generally falls to citizens who have few alternatives other than seeking an injunction or filing suit in civil court to compel compliance."
FOGWatch.org cheerfully accepts that burden because we are dedicated to the principles that our government serves at the pleasure of the governed and functions best when citizens know what is being done in their name and at their expense.
By exercising the rights guaranteed to every person in the Florida Constitution (Article 1, Section 24) and codified in Chapter 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, FOGWatch.org regularly audits the conduct of public agencies and government contractors in response to public records requests. It is the goal of FOGWatch.org to promote open government by holding public agencies and government contractors accountable.
If you know about a public agency or government contractor that has not been complying with Florida's public records laws let us know. Your email will be kept confidential. Just give us the tip and we'll take it from there.
Open government is no accident. Your tips matter. If you need help gaining access to records let us know that as well. We're not a law firm so we can't offer legal advice, but we may be able to point you in the right direction. Of course, there's no cost to you.
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Folks, take your Ativan or Valium or take a toke before. You’ll need it to control the rage outburst.