Bill shielding personal information of judicial assistants on its way to the governor
Sen. Tom Wright
Judicial assistants would have their personal information shielded by a public records exemption under a measure that is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The House voted 117-0 on April 19 to approve SB 50 by Sen. Tom Wright, R-Port Orange. Rep. David Smith, R-Winter Springs, sponsored the companion, HB 75.
Serving as a judge’s “public face” has exposed judicial assistants to threats and harassment, often by disappointed parties in divorce and custody disputes, Smith said.
“They, increasingly due to family law matters, alimony, child support, visitation, are subject to cyberstalking and harassment,” Smith said.
The Senate approved SB 50 on April 11. Wright has sponsored the measure for the past several years.
The exemption would apply to a judicial assistant’s home address, date of birth, and phone number.
It would also exempt the names, home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and places of employment of their spouses and children, and the names and locations of the children’s schools and daycares.
The bills contain a statement of public necessity that is required of all public records exemptions.
“In the course of assisting in making rulings, entering judgments, imposing sentences, or reviewing cases, judicial assistants may incur the ill will of litigants, the accused, the convicted, and their associates and families, thus making judicial assistants and their spouses and children the targets for acts of revenge.”
In addition to requiring a supermajority approval in both chambers, public records exemptions are required to be as narrowly crafted as possible, and to sunset automatically so lawmakers can give them periodic review.
