Section 119 of the Florida Statutes provides that information maintained by any public agency be released upon request by any person, either private, or public, or to the media. There are, of course, certain limitations. Information on cases under investigation will not be released until the charges have been filed by the State Attorney’s Office and discovery on the case has been released to defense counsel.
If the case is not filed on, or is later nolle prossed, the information will be available at that time. Confessions and admissions made by the accused are not permitted to be released until after the case is disposed of. Medical records contained in case files may never be released.
In keeping with state records keeping guidelines, case files are routinely destroyed after the passage of the prescribed periods of time. Information on felony cases older than five years is destroyed and not available, nor is case information on misdemeanors available if more than two years old.
Capital cases are never destroyed.
Media
Samantha Syoen, Communications Director
Email: Samantha Syoen
Phone: (239) 533-1125
All Members of the Public
Assistant State Attorney Jody P. Brown
Email: Jody P. Brown
Phone: (239) 533-1228
State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit
Attn: Jody P. Brown or Samantha Syoen
P.O. Box 399
Fort Myers, FL 33902