whtvr25 wrote on Jun 8^th, 2002 at 6:47pm:

I would also like to know if anyone knows the florda state public access law you have to quote to get all the info the local sheriffs office got on me.  If anyone knows it please email it to me @ Fantasia197723@hotmail.com

Here is a good place to start:

Florida Government in the Sunshine: A Citizen's Guide

From which I quote in part:

If you are refused access to public records you should cite Chapter 119 of Florida Law, which states: "It is the policy of this state that all state, county, and minicipal[sic] records shall at all times be open for a personal inspection by any person." Public resords are defined as "all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received...in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency." Section 119.10 provides that: "Any person willfully and knowingly violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree..."

According to the website noted above, there are over 500 exemptions from the Florida FOI statutes, including:

Medical and birth records;
Identity of parents who leave a newborn infant at a hospital or fire station;
Information provided to authorities by people who take minor children when fleeing domestic violence;
Investigative and criminal intelligence records of law enforcement agencies that are related to active investigations;
Law enforcement records identifying sexual abuse victims or confidential informants;
Home addresses and phone numbers of Department of Children & Family Services investigators, law enforcement officers, state attorneys, judges, firefighters, and code enforcement officers;
Adoption records;
Student educational records;
Reports of diseases of "public health significance" to the state Department of Children & Family Services;
Information "necessary to security and integrity" of the Florida Lottery;
Negotiation records of purchases of real property by state and local agencies, such as appraisals, offers, and counteroffers, until a deal is final or will be considered by the governing body within 30 days,
Most tax information filed with the Department of Revenue;
Layout plans of port facilities, if it is believed that they can could compromise seaport security; and
Collective bargaining records.

dave