A judge denied a motion to close pretrial hearings in the Parkland school shooting case. Attorneys for Nikolas Cruz had asked the judge to close court proceedings. The First Amendment Foundation was part of a media coalition to argue against closure. Attorney Dana McElroy told the Associated Press that the decision “allows access to all […]
Using Florida’s Public Records Law, a reporter investigates whether Florida sent a man to prison based on a case of mistaken identity.
Tristram Kortam spent a year investigating and sending public records requests to find out whether a man was arrested and convicted based on a mistaken identity. When a law enforcement agency was slow to respond to Tristram’s public records request, he asked for the reason for the delay and cited cases identified by the First […]
Through Florida’s Sunshine Laws, Miami Herald reporters expose the unfairness of state program
Florida’s Public Records and Sunshine Laws made it possible for Miami Herald and ProPublica reporters to uncover how a state program created to serve children with devastating birth injuries protected physicians and denied participants medical care. The reporting prompted lawmakers and the state’s chief financial watchdog to reform the program. The board chairman of the […]