Opinion ID: 1890788
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Issue VI. Access to Public Records

Text: Pace filed numerous public records requests, including requests to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department, the Milton Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the First Judicial Circuit State Attorney's office. The postconviction court denied these requests, finding that the public records stage of Pace's case had ended. Pace raised a claim with the postconviction court in his rule 3.850 motion, alleging that certain state agencies failed to provide public records. The postconviction court detailed the history of the public records requests and then denied an evidentiary hearing on Pace's claim. The postconviction court concluded, The Court has attempted through every means available to bring some finality to Defendant's request for public records disclosure. State v. Pace, No. 88-CF-689 order at 3 (Fla. 1st Cir. Ct. order filed Dec. 15, 1998). Pace subsequently filed similar public records requests on December 28, 1998. He made no complaint and filed no motion to compel with the postconviction court regarding these requests. In Vining v. State, 827 So.2d 201, 219 (Fla.2002), this Court stated: Although Vining now contends that there are many public records outstanding, he made no further complaint on the public records issue during the five-month span between the postconviction court's public records order and the evidentiary hearing. Based on this record, we conclude that the court afforded Vining ample time and opportunity to pursue any public records claim. Through his own actions, Vining either waived or abandoned any claim that he was denied public records. Due to Pace's inaction during the year and a half between his public records request and the evidentiary hearing, we conclude that Pace has waived or abandoned any claim that he was denied public records. See id.