Opinion ID: 1581877
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: New Subdivision (b)(4), Confidential

Text: New subdivision (b)(4) defines the term confidential as used in the rule. The new definition is in response to Privacy Committee Recommendation Thirteen (Confidential Information), [17] and the Access Committee's charge to [p]ropose revisions to rule [2.420] to clarify that those records defined in the rule are confidential and may not be released except as provided. Admin. Order AOSC06-27 at 3. The new subdivision clarifies that `[c]onfidential,' as applied to information contained within a record of the judicial branch, means that such information is exempt from the public right of access under article I, section 24(a) of the Florida Constitution and may be released only to the persons or organizations designated by law, statute, or court order. It also explains that [a]s applied to information contained within a court record, `exempt' means that such information is confidential and that [c]onfidential information includes information that is confidential under this rule or under a court order entered pursuant to this rule. The definition further provides that [t]o the extent reasonably practicable, restriction of access to confidential information shall be implemented in a manner that does not restrict access to any portion of the record that is not confidential. The RJA Committee originally suggested the [t]o the extent reasonably practicable qualifier be added to the caveat on restriction of access and the language be included in retitled subdivision (c), Confidential and Exempt Records. We declined to adopt most of the RJA Committee's revisions to subdivision (c) because they merely restated much of new subdivision (b)(4). However, we added the suggested qualifying language to subdivision (b)(4) in recognition that there likely will be instances when it will not be reasonably practicable for the clerk to redact all the confidential information in a document and the clerk will have to treat the entire document as confidential.