Florida Public Records and Open Meetings Attorney's Fees Database
The following is a chronology of cases in which plaintiffs obtained litigation expenses in legal actions filed under the Florida Open Records or Open Meetings Law. In some of the cases, the court awarded attorney's fees, court costs, or both. In other cases, litigation expenses were included as part of a settlement agreement. The chronology also notes those cases in which government actions were nullified. The amounts of litigation expenses awarded or agreed to in settlements have been provided when possible. In some cases, judges awarded litigation expenses, but did not specify amounts.
To date, the single largest attorney’s fees award in a Public Records or Open Meetings suit is approximately $775,000 awarded to a citizen activist who sued the city of Venice over the use of private e-mail accounts to discuss public business. The city’s own legal expenses exceeded $600,000 in the case, which was settled in March 2009, with the city acknowledging it violated Florida’s open government laws.
The Brechner Center would like to receive information about other open meetings or records cases in which litigation expenses were awarded or obtained. The Center would also like to receive updated information on any of the cases listed in the chronology, please contact us at:
Attention: Editor, The Brechner Report
Brechner Center for Freedom of Information
College of Journalism and Communications
University of Florida
P.O. Box 118400
Gainesville, FL 32611-8400
Telephone: 352.392.2273
Fax: 352.392.9173
E-mail: brechnerreport@jou.ufl.edu
