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The Tampa Tribune Anyone Can Check Up On Doctors, Day Care, Dates By The Tampa Tribune staff You don’t have to be a lawyer, a private eye or a reporter to get public records in Florida. State law clearly specifies that “all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person.” But why would an individual want or need a public record? For answers to questions such as: • Does my doctor have a good record of care? • How much did that house down the street sell for? • Is my date married and not telling me? • Is my child’s day care center up to par? • Are there sex offenders living in my neighborhood? • Does my favorite restaurant have a good health record? Most - but not all - information in government files is public. Exceptions include Social Security numbers and addresses of law-enforcement and certain other public officials. State law doesn’t require submitting records requests in writing, but some government entities will insist on it. Should you need it, The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida has a template for writing records requests at www.brechner.org/request.asp. Gov. Charlie Crist, who has said open government is a priority for his administration, has a new Web site listing a contact at each state agency who is responsible for fielding records requests. The address is www.flgov.com/og_agency_contacts. Reproduced courtesy of The Tampa Tribune. |