Florida public records fees must be kept in check – The Independent Florida Alligator

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Florida public records fees must be kept in check – The Independent Florida Alligator
By florida 13 October, 2014 No Comments

In the technological age of the 21st century, access to public records and information should be a fairly straightforward and efficient process. Unfortunately, in Florida, the methods of obtaining public information are anything but.

Last year, the Center for Public Integrity, a journalistic watchdog group, requested information from Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit about “the procedures and policies surrounding foreclosure cases.”
Officials from the court system informed the CPI that the records were available but would cost the center more than $132,000 to obtain.

According to the CPI, General Counsel Alexandra Rieman explained these costs by claiming that staff members would have to sort through 149,000 emails, requiring 2,500 work hours at a rate of $43 or $45 per hour.

That rate did not include the additional 15-cent charge per page for any records ultimately provided by the 17th Judicial Circuit.

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