by the News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders

February 8, 2017

With backers saying the bill could help police solve crimes, a House panel Wednesday approved a proposed public-records exemption that would shield from disclosure the identities of witnesses in murder cases. The proposal (HB 111), filed by Rep. Cynthia Stafford, D-Miami, for the upcoming legislative session, would keep identifying information about witnesses confidential for two years after murders happen. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee approved the bill, which Stafford and other supporters said could make witnesses more willing to cooperate with police investigations into murders. Currently, they said witnesses often worry about retaliation. “Someone knows what happened, but they are afraid to come forward out of fear and intimidation,” Stafford said. Bob Dillinger, representing the Florida Public Defender Association, said his organization has not taken a position on the bill. But he said he wants to make sure it would not disrupt rules of procedure in criminal cases, as defendants accused of crimes have “the right to know who the witnesses are against them.” [READ MORE]