Fla. Appeals Court Rules Judge Wrongly Withheld Release of Docs in Murder Case

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Florida's First District Court of Appeal last week unanimously boosted the Sunshine State's Public Records Act, ruling that a trial judge in a murder case wrongly restricted the release of discovery documents, the Florida Times Union reported.

Judge Russell Healey, presiding over the murder trial of Michael David Dunn, issued an order delaying for 30 days the release to the public of documents shared by prosecutors with defense counsel so that he could review them for potential prejudice, according to the Times Union.

Under Florida's Public Records Act [Fla. Stat. secs. 119.01-119.15 (1995)], "[A]ll state, county and municipal records shall at all times be open for a personal inspection by any person." Despite the appellate panel's ruling, either side in the Dunn case could seek a protective order from Judge Healey barring the release of specific records to the public that would require an evidentiary hearing.

Bad Day for Southern Journos with Layoffs at Two Dailies

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The continuing loss of advertising lineage and shriveling circulation among newspapers means more layoffs in the newsroom.


Trade publication Editor & Publisher reports that The Florida Times Union, owned by Augusta, Ga.-based Morris Publishing Group, this week laid off 6 percent of its work force, or 26 workers, a third of whom were editorial staffers. Editorial cartoonist Ed Gamble's position was one of eight newsroom slots eliminated. Morris Publishing Group last spring emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.


The news isn't any better at The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, which underwent its second round of layoffs this year. The paper this week eliminated 20 positions through layoffs and voluntary buyouts, and is mandating that remaining workers take an unpaid week-long furlough in the fourth quarter of 2010.  In January, the paper trimmed 11 newsroom jobs among 25 staff cutbacks overall.