Title: In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.852
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC13-2295
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: April 30, 2015

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC13-2295 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF CRIMINAL 
PROCEDURE 3.852. 
 
[April 30, 2015] 
 
PER CURIAM.  
 
Previously, on its own motion, the Court amended Florida Rule of Criminal 
Procedure 3.852 to require the Florida Department of Corrections to provide a 
copy of a defendant’s medical, psychological, or psychiatric records to the capital 
postconviction defendant’s counsel of record when providing a copy of such 
records to the records repository as required by subdivisions (e)(3) and (g)(2) of 
rule 3.852.  In re Amends. to Fla. Rule of Crim. Pro. 3.852, 140 So. 3d 507 (Fla. 
2014).  This amendment was necessary because the sole procedure by which a 
capital postconviction defendant could obtain his or her medical, psychological, or 
psychiatric records from the Department caused delay and was burdensome and 
 
 
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inefficient.1  Because the rule as amended had not been subject to public comment, 
the Court provided for a comment period.  Following our amendment to rule 3.852, 
the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) filed a comment, to which the 
Capital Postconviction Proceedings Subcommittee (Subcommittee) filed a 
response.  After considering the comment and response, we further amend rule 
3.852.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
Rule 3.852 is a discovery rule for public records production ancillary to 
proceedings pursuant to rule 3.851.  Amends. to Fla. Rules of Crim. Pro. 3.852 
(Capital Postconviction Pub. Records Prod.) & Rule 3.993 (Related Forms), 754 
So. 2d 640, 643 (Fla. 1999).  Pursuant to rule 3.852(e)(3), the Department of 
                                          
 
 
1.  Prior to the Court’s most recent amendment to rule 3.852, see In re 
Amends. to Fla. Rule of Crim. Pro. 3.852, 140 So. 3d 507, the only procedure by 
which a capital postconviction defendant could obtain his or her own medical, 
psychological, or psychiatric records under rule 3.852 was as follows.  First, 
because such records are confidential, see § 456.057(7)(a), Fla. Stat. (2014), prior 
to being sent to the record repository, the records “must be separately contained, 
without being redacted, and sealed.  The outside of the container must clearly 
identify that the public record is confidential or exempt and that the seal may not 
be broken without an order of the trial court.”  Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.852(f)(1).  Next, 
in order to actually obtain his or her own confidential records under rule 3.852, a 
motion must be brought on the defendant’s behalf before the trial court.  Upon the 
trial court’s order, sealed containers subject to an inspection by the trial court shall 
be shipped to the clerk of court.  Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.852(f)(2).  The containers may 
be opened only for inspection by the trial court in camera, without ex parte 
communications.  Id. 
 
 
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Corrections “shall copy, index, and deliver to the records repository[2] all public 
records determined by the department to be relevant to the subject matter of a 
proceeding under rule 3.851, unless such copying, indexing, and delivering would 
be unduly burdensome.”  Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.852(e)(3).  To simplify the mechanism 
by which a capital postconviction defendant may obtain his or her own confidential 
medical, psychological, or psychiatric records from the Department of 
Corrections—records that are already required to be sent to the records 
repository—the Court amended rule 3.852 to provide that the Department of 
Corrections shall provide a copy of the defendant’s medical, psychological, and 
psychiatric records to the defendant’s counsel of record.  In re Amends. to Fla. 
Rule of Crim. Pro. 3.852, 140 So. 3d at 509.  This amendment was applicable to 
both the initial disclosure of records under subdivision (e)(3), and to the demand 
for additional records under subdivision (g)(2).  Id. 
 
Because the records at issue are confidential, see, e.g., §§ 456.057(7)(a), 
945.10(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (2014), the DOC filed a comment expressing concern that 
the defendant’s medical, psychological, and psychiatric records would be released 
                                          
 
 
2.  The “records repository” is the location designated by the secretary of 
state pursuant to section 27.7081(3), Florida Statutes (2014), for archiving capital 
postconviction public records.  Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.852(b)(3). 
 
 
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to counsel of record without the defendant’s consent or other proper authorization.  
The Subcommittee agreed with the DOC’s comment.  After considering the 
comment and response, we further amend rule 3.852 to provide for such disclosure 
to counsel of record upon the DOC’s receipt of express consent by the defendant or 
pursuant to the authority of a court of competent jurisdiction.  As suggested by the 
DOC, we also include a defendant’s substance abuse records with those records 
subject to such disclosure.  Because rule 3.852(g)(2) pertains to other agencies in 
addition to the DOC, we decline to remove the reference to the “Department of 
Corrections” from the rule as suggested by the DOC. 
 
Accordingly, Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.852 is hereby amended 
as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by 
underscoring, and deleted language is struck-through.  The amendments shall 
become effective immediately upon release of this opinion.   
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and 
PERRY, JJ., concur. 
LEWIS, J., concurs in result. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.  
 
Original Proceeding – The Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure  
 
 
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Samantha Lee Ward, Chair, Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Tampa, Florida; 
Melanie L. Casper, Past Chair, Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, West Palm 
Beach, Florida; John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director and Heather Savage 
Telfer, Bar Staff Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida; Kevin M. Emas, 
Chair, Capital Postconviction Proceedings Subcommittee, Miami, Florida; Bart 
Neil Schneider, Staff Liaison, Office of the State Courts Administrator, 
Tallahassee, Florida,  
 
for Petitioner 
 
Jennifer Alani Parker, General Counsel, Florida Department of Corrections, and 
Rana Marie Wallace, Assistant General Counsel, Florida Department of 
Corrections, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with Comments 
 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 3.852. 
CAPITAL POSTCONVICTION PUBLIC RECORDS 
 
 
 
PRODUCTION 
 
 
(a)-(d) 
[No Change] 
 
 
(e)  Action Upon Receipt of Notice of Mandate. 
 
 
 
(1)-(2)   [No Change] 
 
 
 
(3)  Within 90 days after receipt of written notification of the mandate 
from the attorney general, the Department of Corrections shall copy, index, and 
deliver to the records repository all public records, in a current, nonproprietary 
technology format, determined by the department to be relevant to the subject 
matter of a proceeding under rule 3.851, unless such copying, indexing, and 
delivering would be unduly burdensome.  To the extent that the records determined 
by the department to be relevant to the subject matter of a proceeding under rule 
3.851 are the defendant’s medical, psychological, substance abuse, or psychiatric 
records, upon receipt of express consent by the defendant or pursuant to the 
authority of a court of competent jurisdictionIn addition, the department shall 
provide a copy of the defendant’s medical, psychological, substance abuse, and 
psychiatric records to the defendant’s counsel of record.  The department shall bear 
the costs.  The secretary of the department shall provide written notification to the 
attorney general and the trial court of compliance with this section certifying that, 
to the best of the secretary of the department’s knowledge or belief, all such public 
records in the possession of the secretary of the department have been copied, 
indexed, and delivered to the records repository. 
 
 
 
(4)-(5) 
[No Change] 
 
 
(f) 
[No Change] 
 
 
(g)  Demand for Additional Public Records. 
 
 
 
(1) 
[No Change] 
 
 
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(2)  Within 90 days of receipt of the written demand, each person or 
agency notified under this subdivision shall deliver to the records repository any 
additional public records in the possession of the person or agency that pertain to 
the case and shall certify to the best of the person or agency’s knowledge and 
belief that all additional public records have been delivered to the records 
repository or, if no additional public records are found, shall recertify that the 
public records previously delivered are complete.  To the extent that the additional 
public records are the defendant’s Department of Corrections’ medical, 
psychological, substance abuse, or psychiatric records, upon receipt of express 
consent by the defendant or pursuant to the authority of a court of competent 
jurisdiction, the department shall also provide a copy of the defendant’s medical, 
psychological, substance abuse, and psychiatric records to the defendant’s counsel 
of record. A copy of each person’s or agency’s certification shall be provided to 
the trial court. 
 
 
 
(3) 
[No Change] 
 
 
(h)-(m) 
[No Change] 
 
Repeal 
 
[No Change] 
 
Readoption 
 
[No Change]