Case Name: John DOE, et al., Petitioners, v. STATE of Florida, News and Sun-Sentinel Company, The Miami Herald Publishing Company, NBC Subsidiary (WTVJ-TV), Inc., Post-Newsweek Stations, Florida, Inc., d/b/a WPLG, King Communications, Inc., d/b/a WFTL Radio, Jeffrey Willets and Kathy Willets, Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1991-09-27
Citations: 587 So. 2d 526
Docket Number: No. 91-2550
Parties: John DOE, et al., Petitioners, v. STATE of Florida, News and Sun-Sentinel Company, The Miami Herald Publishing Company, NBC Subsidiary (WTVJ-TV), Inc., Post-Newsweek Stations, Florida, Inc., d/b/a WPLG, King Communications, Inc., d/b/a WFTL Radio, Jeffrey Willets and Kathy Willets, Respondents.
Judges: GLICKSTEIN, C.J., and DOWNEY, J„ concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 587
Pages: 526–534

Head Matter:
John DOE, et al., Petitioners, v. STATE of Florida, News and Sun-Sentinel Company, The Miami Herald Publishing Company, NBC Subsidiary (WTVJ-TV), Inc., Post-Newsweek Stations, Florida, Inc., d/b/a WPLG, King Communications, Inc., d/b/a WFTL Radio, Jeffrey Willets and Kathy Willets, Respondents.
No. 91-2550.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Sept. 27, 1991.
Rehearing and/or Clarification and Request for Review En Banc Denied Oct. 25, 1991.
Richard L. Rosenbaum of Law Offices of Richard L. Rosenbaum, Fort Lauderdale, Mark King Leban, of Law Offices of Mark King Leban, P.A., Miami and Jerome M. Rosenblum, P.A., Mark E. Berman of Rosenblum & Oliver, P.A., Hollywood, Jeffrey M. Harris of Jeffrey M. Harris, P.A., Kenneth E. DeLegal, of Law Offices of Kenneth E. DeLegal, Thomas E. Cazel, of Allsworth, Doumar, Cazel, Curtis and Cross, Alan Jay Braverman, of Law Offices of Alan Jay Braverman, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for petitioners — John Does.
Michael J. Satz, State Atty., Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, and James P. McLane, Asst. State Atty., Fort Lauderdale, for respondent — State of Fla.
Ray Ferrero, Jr. and Joanne Fanizza of Ferrero & Middlebrooks, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for respondents — News and Sun-Sentinel Co., The Miami Herald Pub. Co., and NBC Subsidiary, Inc.
Norman Elliott Kent of Norman Elliott Kent, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for King Communications, Inc., d/b/a WFTL Radio.
Sanford L. Bohrer and Karen Williams Kammer of Thomson Muraro Bohrer & Ra-zook, P.A., Miami, for Post-Newsweek Stations, Florida, Inc., d/b/a WPLG Channel 10.
No appearance for respondents Jeffrey Willets and Kathy Willets.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
This matter is before the court upon a petition for writ of certiorari to review an order of the trial court denying nonparty motions to restrict or limit public access to pretrial discovery materials in a criminal case.
The order in question was entered in a criminal proceeding in Broward County, Florida, styled: State of Florida, Plaintiff, vs. Jeffrey Willets and Kathy Willets, Defendants, John Doe, interested party/witnesses, wherein the State of Florida has charged Kathy Willets with prostitution, and Jeffrey Willets, her husband, with living off of the earnings of prostitution. Both defendants were also charged with unlawful interception of telephone conversations.
The record indicates that the situs of the alleged criminal activity was the Willets' home in Fort Lauderdale. Pursuant to a search warrant, various items of personal property were seized from the defendants, including cassette tapes containing recorded telephone conversations, business cards of alleged customers or clients of Kathy Willets, a Rolodex containing the names and addresses of her clients, and various other lists stating the names of her clients, amounts paid and other sexually related notations personal to the customers.
The petitioner here filed a motion in the trial court, in which he was styled as "John Doe," an "interested party/witness," seeking an order to deny public access to pretrial discovery materials including evidence turned over to defendants by the state attorney. More specifically, the movant sought a protective order limiting the release of business cards, notes, journals, lists and tape recordings which would reveal John Doe's name, address, and intimate personal details. The defendants, Willets, also moved for a similar order to prevent public disclosure of the same evidence. Numerous other John Does styled as interested parties/witnesses intervened and adopted the original motion filed by the petitioner.
The issues drawn below giving rise to an evidentiary hearing were for all intents and purposes litigated by and between the John Does and the media, as the state expressed no objection to disclosure. The media contended that, under the Public Records Act, the court proceedings were mandated to be open to the public and could not be closed or limited at the instance of persons who, by virtue of their own acts, proclivities and activities, became enmeshed in the proceedings. The Does contended generally that disclosure of the evidence in question would cause them to be held up to public scorn, hatred and ridicule, and adversely affect their honesty, integrity, virtue, religious philosophy, and reputation as persons and in their professions.
After a hearing at which the trial judge entertained argument and personally examined a "client list," the trial court denied the motions filed by the various movants and declared the names and addresses of the "clients," as well as the state's potential witnesses list, accessible public records available for public inspection when provided to the defendants by the state attorney. Thereupon, this certiorari proceeding was initiated by the original John Doe movant and has been joined in by various other John Does. Anomalous as it may seem, the state takes no position on the issues raised and the defendants/Willets have not joined in the petition for review of the questioned order.
In a detailed written order, the trial judge stated that he had carefully balanced and analyzed the constitutional and other rights of the defendants, the John Does and the media, in light of the relevant case law and statutory authority. He recognized the media had no First Amendment right of access to pretrial discovery, but found there is a statutory right of access under the Public Records Act, chapter 119, Florida Statutes (1989). See Florida Freedom Newspapers v. McCrary, 520 So.2d 32 (Fla.1988). He further found that the client list would become a public record upon being released by the state to the defense, which the state advised was imminent. See Tribune Company v. Public Records, 493 So.2d 480 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986), rev. denied, Gillum v. Tribune Company, 503 So.2d 327 (Fla.1987); Bludworth v. Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc., 476 So.2d 775 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985), rev. denied, 488 So.2d 67 (Fla.1986); Satz v. Blankenship, 407 So.2d 396 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), rev. denied, 413 So.2d 877 (Fla.1982). Furthermore, the court found that the John Does had no expectation of privacy in said list and in any event that such right would not outweigh the public's right to know. He announced his concern that the public's confidence in the integrity of the criminal justice system be considered, and that it is essential that the public not feel the courts are involved in secret proceedings.
Since the state announced it was prepared to meet the imminent deadline for divulging the matters in its possession as required by rule 3.220, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the John Does sought a stay in the trial court which was denied. This court then upon motion stayed the order being reviewed pending our determination of the propriety thereof.
We have considered on an expedited basis the offerings of the respective parties which have extensively presented the various aspects of the criminal discovery rules, the Public Records Act, and varying views on the application of the right of privacy in the context of the issues presented here. We found many of the questions involving standing of the John Does and their rights of privacy as opposed to the rights of the public and media under the Public Records Act to be difficult of resolution, yet substantial matters of public interest which should and no doubt will be resolved by the supreme court. Thus, after serious consideration of the issues presented, and while not necessarily agreeing with all of the trial court's conclusions, we hold that the petitioners have failed to demonstrate an abuse of discretion or a violation of a clearly established principle of law resulting in a miscarriage of justice. See State v. Pettis, 520 So.2d 250, 254 (Fla.1988). The petition for writ of certiorari is therefore denied.
Because we conclude it to be a case of great public importance and that the public and parties are entitled to a resolution of this dispute by the state's highest court, we continue the stay previously ordered until such time as this court loses jurisdiction of the cause notwithstanding our denial of the petition. In the absence of continuing the stay until we lose jurisdiction, we would have effectively deprived petitioners of a realistic opportunity for review by the state's highest court. Accordingly, we continue the stay previously entered herein, pending further resolution by the Supreme Court of Florida.
Since, as we indicated above, it is our belief that this case presents issues of great public importance, we certify to the Supreme Court of Florida the following questions:
1. IN A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING CHARGING A DEFENDANT WITH PROSTITUTION, DOES A NON-PARTY WHO CLAIMS A RIGHT OF PRIVACY IN DOCUMENTS HELD BY THE STATE ATTORNEY AS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE INFORMATION HAVE STANDING TO SEEK AN ORDER OF THE TRIAL COURT WHICH WOULD DENY THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESS ACCESS TO EVIDENCE REVEALING NAMES OF THE DEFENDANT'S CLIENTS WHEN PURSUANT TO THE DEFENDANT'S DISCOVERY MOTION THE STATE IS PREPARED TO DELIVER SAID EVIDENCE TO THE DEFENDANTS AS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA RULE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 3.220 AND WHICH UPON DELIVERY WOULD OTHERWISE RENDER THEM 'PUBLIC RECORDS' PURSUANT TO BLUD-WORTH V. PALM BEACH NEWSPAPERS, INC., 476 S0.2D 775 (FLA. 4TH DCA 1985), REV. DENIED, 488 S0.2D 67 (FLA.1986)?
2. IN A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING CHARGING A DEFENDANT WITH PROSTITUTION, DOES THE TRIAL COURT ABUSE ITS DISCRETION UNDER SECTION 119.011(3)(c)5 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT IN DENYING CLOSURE OF DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS WHERE AN UNNAMED THIRD PARTY CLAIMS THAT RELEASE OF SUCH INFORMATION WOULD BE DEFAMATORY TO HIM AND WOULD INVADE HIS RIGHT OF PRIVACY BOTH UNDER THE ACT, ARTICLE I, SECTION 23 OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION AND THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION, AND THE TRIAL COURT FINDS THAT RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION WILL HARM THE THIRD PARTY?
GLICKSTEIN, C.J., and DOWNEY, J" concur.
WARNER, J., concurs specially with opinion.