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Sorry for the delay in posting more about the recent in-person-audits around the State, but I’ve been trying to catch up on the administrative side of what I do after being on the road off-and-on for the past couple of … Continue reading
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The FOGWatch Roadshow was extended to include South Florida. Originally our in-person-audit of public agencies was intended to include various agencies between Lakeland and Jacksonville. The results of that trip were so interesting we decided to extend the audit to … Continue reading
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Over the past few years I’ve been very open about the fact that I conduct audits of public agencies (and those acting on their behalf) with Florida’s open government laws. In fact, I suspect that I do more audits than … Continue reading
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According to an article published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, State Trooper Scott Kunstmann has surrendered to the Sarasota County Sheriff’ after being fired from his job and charged with perjury. The perjury charges stem from an incident in which Kunstmann arrested … Continue reading
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According to an article published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, some members of the Manatee County School Board may have violated Florida’s Open Meetings Laws (“Sunshine Laws”). The article says that the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation … Continue reading
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My friend and fellow activist Carlos Miller was found Not Guilty in his criminal trial this past week. Miller is a professional photojournalist and was arrested by the Miami-Dade Police Department while he was covering the eviction of Occupy Miami. … Continue reading
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The 11th Federal Circuit has ordered that Joel E. Chandler, et al v. The Florida Department of Transportation, et al be dismissed by the Federal Court in Tampa. Although I am disappointed by the decision of the Federal Appeals … Continue reading
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The Sarasota Herald-Tribune has reported that a lawsuit was filed against the board of the State Collage of Florida. According to the article, the lawsuit aims to derail a secret plan to provide departing collage president, Lars Hafner with an … Continue reading
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An article published by the Tampa Bay Times on October 28, 2012 entitled “Religious exemption at some Florida children’s homes shields prying eyes” tells the story of dozens of homes for troubled youth which are operated with little or no … Continue reading
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The Lakeland Ledger published an article on October 20, 2012 regarding my lawsuit against the School Board of Polk County for alleged violations of Florida’s Public Records Act. The Ledger has published previous articles regarding this case. The current article … Continue reading
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Reason.com published an article on October 19, 2012 addressing the issue of the “Officers’ Bill of Rights.” I’ve discussed this issue previously, but is important enough to bear repetition. As discussed in the article, many states, including Florida, have adopted … Continue reading
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Emmy-award-winning investigative journalist Mike Deeson has been nominated for another Emmy. This time, Deeson’s has been nominated for his story about the “In God We Trust” specialty license tag. Several months ago I had the opportunity to bring the “In God … Continue reading
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Recently, an article that provides an in-depth discussion about “Terry Stops” and Florida’s wildly abused Resisting Without Violence statute came to my attention. Steve Horrigan, a fellow fan of Carlos Miller’s Photography Is Not A Crime blog was kind enough … Continue reading
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Yesterday morning a reader name “Doug Neuhaus” posted several comments on http://www.FOGWatch.org under various blog entries. Since all of Doug’s comments asked questions, I’ve decided to reply in a new blog entry. Hopefully, if there are other readers who share … Continue reading
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An article that has appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, captures the essence of why there are so many violations of Florida’s Sunshine laws. According to the article, a number of Sarasota’s top city officials, including two city commissioners, attended a … Continue reading
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FCIR, the Florida Center for Investigate Reporting has published a story about vendor fraud. FCIR is one Florida’s last hopes for continued professional investigative journalism. According to the article, a vendor for a number of Florida’s on-line public schools, “K12″ has … Continue reading
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An article has appeared in the Florida Bar Journal entitled “Walking on Sunshine Laws: How Florida’s Free Press History in the U.S. Supreme Court Undermines Open Government.” While the article does not provide an exhaustive history of Florida’s open government laws, … Continue reading
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According to an article published on TCPalm (Treasure Coast Palm), the City of Port St. Lucie has demanded a whopping $3.5 million as an advance payment for the production of public records. The requestors are several former LEOs and their … Continue reading
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In a story that is likely to be repeated, the Orlando Sun-Sentinal has reported that Jennifer Thompson, an Orange County, Florida Commissioner deleted text messages which were sent and received during a public hearing. The topic of the hearing was … Continue reading
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In an article published today by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a lawsuit has been filed against Ed Brodsky, Assistant State Attorney in the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida (Sarasota, Manatee and De Soto Counties). Brodsky is currently a candidate running … Continue reading
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A poignant editorial has appeared in the Jacksonville Times-Union. The editorial was written in response to a recent public records lawsuit filed by the Times-Union against the City of Jacksonville. The Times-Union filed suit after Mayor Alvin Brown’s office unlawfully delayed the … Continue reading
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According to an article published by The Daytona News-Journal, a series of emails created and received by a sitting city councilman have come to light, that paint a troubling image of Tom Abraham. According to the article, Abraham has been … Continue reading
The Washington Times has published an editorial written by Charles Hurt, entitled “Convention Security Embodiment of a Police State.” Hurt’s editorial squarely takes on the absurdity of the security response by authorities at the RNC and the DNC. After my … Continue reading
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Last week I had the opportunity to spend several days on a walking tour of downtown Tampa during the Republican National Convention. Although it had been reported that more than 5,000 protesters were expected, few actually materialized. The estimates of … Continue reading
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According to an article published in the Lakeland Ledger, atheist leader John Kieffer has agreed to a plea deal that will end his criminal prosecution. In the interest of full-disclosure, John is a personal friend of mine and I make … Continue reading
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Investigative TV reporter Mike Deeson (10Connects / WTSP) has reported that a “sobriety checkpoint” operated in Pasco County by multiple Law Enforcement agencies has resulted in a legal fiasco. Deeson reports that the roadblock was operated in a fashion that … Continue reading
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In a follow-up article, the Sarasota Herald Tribune, has reported that Sarasota County Deputy Sheriff Dominic Fornel continues to be questioned regarding his conduct in a series of DUI arrests. It now appears that DS Fornel has a long history … Continue reading
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The Sarasota Herald Tribune has reported that a Sarasota County Deputy Sheriff has claimed to be able to smell unburned marijuana from a moving car (with the windows rolled-up) doing 35 mph. In fact, his sense of smell is so … Continue reading
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The Lakeland Ledger has accurately reported that, yesterday the attorneys at Thomas & LoCicero filed a lawsuit against the School Board of Polk County on my behalf. The lawsuit, my third against the School Board of Polk County, has been … Continue reading
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According to an article published in the Bradenton Herald, Circuit Court Judge Janette Dunnigan has finally recused herself from a number or criminal cases. It appears that Dunnigan only decided to recuse herself because the 2nd District Court of Appeals was … Continue reading
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An article appeared on the cover of The Lakeland Ledger this morning about my on-going battle with the School Board of Polk County regarding the release of emails exchanged between members of the Board. Prominently featured in the article were numerous … Continue reading
The last audit of state vendors has just been completed as another one has begun. The previous audit had mixed results. These vendors had the distinct advantage of having been the subjects of numerous public records requests over the space … Continue reading
City to pay Times-Union $15,000 in dispute over public record delays by mayor’s office | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edition. It comes as no surprise that the City of Jacksonville and its Deputy General Counsel, Howard Matlz are on the receiving end … Continue reading
In an article published in the Bradenton Herald on August 11, 2012, a series of emails sent by Circuit Court Judge Janette Dunnigan has created widespread concern about her ability to remain impartial during judicial proceedings. According to the article, a … Continue reading
After weeks of maintaining a nonsensical legal position regarding the release of a highly controversial list of voters, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner has finally agreed to do his job and release the records. An article in the Miami-Herald … Continue reading
Like HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), is greatly overused by the custodians of public records throughout Florida as an excuse to violate the law. The HIPAA argument is what … Continue reading
In addition to being a bearded portly fellow, I resemble Old Saint Nick in at least one other respect: I keep a list of whose been naughty or nice. I call it my “Special Projects List.” In the course of … Continue reading
According to a Tampa Bay Times article published on June 26, 2012, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, has refused to release records that he has actually acknowledged as being public records. Steve Bousquet, the Tampa Bay Times reporter who … Continue reading
The Gainesville Sun has published an article about Erin Friedberg, a former City of Gainesville employee who is suing the City over her termination. In support of her lawsuit, Friedberg made a public records request for all of her City … Continue reading
A few weeks ago I was sitting in court when an attorney for a defendant exclaimed, “Your Honor, we’re only here because they want attorney’s fees!” That sentiment is one that I hear far too often, and it’s wrong…well, sort … Continue reading
From the Huffington Post: Florida Is The Most Corrupt State In The Country, According To Integrity Florida Study A new study by nonprofit Integrity Florida ranks the Sunshine State as the country’s most corrupt. According to the “Corruption Risk Report: Florida Ethics … Continue reading
Residents Against Inappropriate Development, Inc. MEDIA ADVISORY: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 MEDIA CONTACTS: Shirley Merchant (754) 223-9707 notprisontown@gmail.com http://www.noprisonswr.org facebook.com/ swranchesdetentioncenter ICE Pulled the Plug! Tuesday, June 19, 2012 ‐‐ After a year long battle, this detention center issue has … Continue reading
FIRST AMENDMENT FOUNDATION 336 E. College Avenue, Suite 101 Tallahassee, FL 32301-1554 (800) 337-3518 or (850) 222-3518 PRESS RELEASE 21 June 2012 SCOTT’S TRANSITION TEAM EMAILS NOW AVAILABLE IN FAF DROPBOX This afternoon, Florida’s First Amendment Foundation received the first … Continue reading
Each year the First Amendment Foundation offers a series of one day training seminars. These Sunshine Seminars provide an overview of Florida’s public records and public meetings requirements in an informative and interactive format. The seminars are helpful for anyone … Continue reading
According to an article published in The Lakeland Ledger today, the Lakeland City Commission has been and will continue to engage in secret meetings with a group of local business leaders, including the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC). The stated … Continue reading
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According to a press release, which appears to be authentic, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has suspended it plans to utilize a private prison facility in Southwest Ranches, Florida. If I seem a little dubious, that’s because of the cast … Continue reading
