Florida Court Records – To Upload, Or Not to Upload

Sometimes, searching for Florida court records can be a daunting task. RecordsSiteReviews takes the headache out of searching for such records by providing you with valuable information and important Florida court records links below.

Court records in Florida are public records which any person can examine. By far, criminal court records in FL are the most popular. Court records are usually stored in each county. Criminal records are rarely archived on the state level, so a visit to the specific county is often necessary. However, this has made getting court records difficult. Luckily, many court records have been digitized, making them more accessible to the general public.

A common complaint to the availability of court records online is the issue of privacy. As a general rule, all court records should be available to the public. In order to promote this policy of liberality in granting the public access to court records, the state is gradually uploading its court records on the Internet. This move has raised fears about the possibilities for abuse. Some states have addressed this issue by omitting some of the information provided online. The complete court record information is still available, but it has to be retrieved in person at the county.

What Information Is Not Allowed In Florida Court Records

The addresses, contact numbers, and other information pertaining to the victim or witness in a legal proceeding are never available for viewing. This is to protect them from possible harm or harassment. Information pertaining to juveniles, medical records and investigations are also confidential. Aside from information that’s already confidential, there are special statutes that can render specific information in a record confidential.

Current legal proceedings are usually barred from being examined by the public. Details on an ongoing case should not be viewed by the general populace as it may affect the verdict. Confidentiality is especially important in criminal court cases. Aside from these exceptions, litigants can actually request that the court records of their proceedings be sealed. They usually have to make a case on how public access to their court records can have a negative outcome.

The court records are usually in the custody of the clerk of court. He is primarily responsible in determining which records are available to the public, and which files are restricted to non parties. In case the clerk of court denies a person’s request to view a court record, the latter can appeal the decision and have the sealed FL court record opened.

Florida Court Records Websites

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida  

United States District Court Southern District of Florida
 

A Selection of Florida County Courthouses You Can Visit

Visiting Florida County Courthouses are great options to have to find the court record(s) you want. However, going this route may take quite a while. For time-efficient, hassle-free searching, give online court record search service providers a try!