Have you ever heard of the Florida Sunshine Law?

Have you ever heard of the Florida Sunshine Law?

Passed in 1967, it requires that all meetings of any state, county, or municipal board or commission be open to the public, and mandates that any official action taken at the closed meeting not be binding. Fla. Stat. sec. 286.011 (1995).

But who can really understand that?

In layman’s terms, it is meant to allow the public access, either at meetings or via recordings, to information ensuring an honest, competent and responsive government.

In this case, my client was accused of allegedly violating this Sunshine Law.

My Client, Mr. L was interested in becoming chair of his City Parks and Recreation Advisory board and contacted another board member to nominate him. He was subsequently nominated and elected to the position.

A fellow board member, also interested in the position, felt that my client violated the Sunshine Laws by contacting another board member to solicit the nomination before the government meeting and thus filed a claim with the prosecutor.

I believe under the First Amendment, my client is allowed to communicate with a fellow board member to talk about his nomination and there was never any intention on his part to violate the Florida Sunshine Law. We believe this investigation will end with the case being dismissed.