8/9/2019 Meggs LetProsecutor asked to investigate ouster of Florida's top copter

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8/9/2019 Meggs LetProsecutor asked to investigate ouster of Florida's top copter

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Hon.WilliamMeggs

January27,2015

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(4) Wheneveranactionhasbeenfiledagainstanyboardorcommissionofanystateagency

orauthority

or

any

agency

or

authority

of

any

county,

municipal

corporation,

or

political

subdivision to enforce the provisions of this section or to invalidate the actions of any such

board,commission,agency,orauthority,whichactionwastakeninviolationofthissection,and

thecourtdeterminesthatthedefendantordefendantstosuchactionacted inviolationofthis

section,thecourtshallassessareasonableattorneysfeeagainstsuchagency,andmayassessa

reasonableattorneysfeeagainsttheindividualfilingsuchanactionifthecourtfindsitwasfiled

in bad faith or was frivolous. Any fees so assessed may be assessed against the individual

memberormembersofsuchboardorcommission;provided,thatinanycasewheretheboard

orcommissionseekstheadviceofitsattorneyandsuchadviceisfollowed,nosuchfeesshallbe

assessedagainsttheindividualmemberormembersoftheboardorcommission.However,this

subsection shallnot apply to a state attorneyorhisor her duly authorized assistantsor any

officerchargedwithenforcingtheprovisionsofthissection.

(5) Wheneveranyboardorcommissionofanystateagencyorauthorityoranyagencyor

authorityofanycounty,municipalcorporation,orpoliticalsubdivisionappealsanycourtorder

whichhasfoundsaidboard,commission,agency,orauthoritytohaveviolatedthissection,and

suchorder isaffirmed,thecourtshallassessareasonableattorneysfeefortheappealagainst

suchboard,commission,agency,orauthority.Anyfeessoassessedmaybeassessedagainstthe

individualmemberormembersofsuchboardorcommission;provided,that inanycasewhere

theboardorcommissionseeks theadviceof itsattorneyandsuchadvice is followed,nosuch

feesshallbeassessedagainsttheindividualmemberormembersoftheboardorcommission.

(6) Allpersonssubjecttosubsection(1)areprohibitedfromholdingmeetingsatanyfacility

or locationwhichdiscriminatesonthebasisofsex,age,race,creed,color,origin,oreconomic

statusorwhichoperates insuchamanneras tounreasonably restrictpublicaccess to sucha

facility.

(7) Wheneveranymemberofanyboardorcommissionofanystateagencyorauthorityor

anyagencyorauthorityofanycounty,municipalcorporation,orpoliticalsubdivision ischarged

with a violation of this section and is subsequently acquitted, the board or commission is

authorizedtoreimbursesaidmemberforanyportionofhisorherreasonableattorneysfees.

(8) Notwithstandingtheprovisionsofsubsection(1),anyboardorcommissionofanystate

agencyorauthorityoranyagencyorauthorityofanycounty,municipalcorporation,orpolitical

subdivision,and the chiefadministrativeor executiveofficerof thegovernmentalentity,may

meet in privatewith the entitys attorney to discuss pending litigation towhich the entity is

presentlyapartybeforeacourtoradministrativeagency,providedthatthefollowingconditions

aremet:

(a) Theentitysattorney shalladvise theentityatapublicmeeting thatheorshedesires

adviceconcerningthelitigation.

(b) The subject matter of the meeting shall be confined to settlement negotiations or

strategysessionsrelatedtolitigationexpenditures.

(c) The entire session shall be recorded by a certified court reporter. The reporter shall

record the times of commencement and termination of the session, all discussion and

8/9/2019 Meggs LetProsecutor asked to investigate ouster of Florida's top copter

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Hon.WilliamMeggs

January27,2015

P a g e |

ThisrequestisbasedonthestatementofGeraldBailey,formerheadoftheFloridaDepartment

ofLaw

Enforcement

(FDLE),

widely

reported

in

the

press,

who

indicated

that

he

was

forced

out

byScottandwastoldbyGeneral[Counsel]PeteAntonaccithathehadtheconcurrenceofall

threeCabinetmembers.

Asyouarewellaware,theGovernmentintheSunshineLawappliestoanyboardor

commissionofanystateagencyorauthorityorofanyagencyorauthorityofanycounty,

municipalcorporation,orpoliticalsubdivision.Thestatutethusappliestopubliccollegial

bodieswithinthisstate,atthelocalaswellasstatelevel.AllgovernmentalentitiesinFlorida

aresubjecttotherequirementsoftheSunshineLawunlessspecificallyexempted.The

GovernorandCabinetaresubjecttotheSunshineLawwhensittingintheircapacityasaboard

createdby

the

Legislature

or

whose

powers

are

prescribed

by

the

Legislature,

such

as

FDLE.

AnyconversationsbetweenandamongtheGovernorandmembersoftheCabinet,directlyor

throughconduits,regardingthereplacementoftheheadoftheFDLEviolatetheGovernmentin

theSunshineLaw. TheSunshineLawisapplicabletomeetingsbetweenaboardmemberand

anindividualwhoisnotaboardmemberwhenthatindividualisbeingusedasaliaison

between,ortoconductadefactomeetingofboardmembers.

Statementsattributedtoyouinthepressindicatedthatyouwon'tevenconsideropeningan

investigationuntilyoureceiveacriminalcomplaintfromMr.Baileyhimself. ButMr.Baileyis

nottherealpartyininteresthere.Asyouknow,therequirementsarticulatedwithinFlorida's

Sunshinelawsprovidecriticalprotectionswhichinuretoeverycitizenandresidentofthisstate.

Whentheselawsareviolated,thesecitizensandresidentsarethevictimsofthoseviolations.

Accordingly,therealpartiesininterestintheseinstancesofpotentialSunshinelawviolations

arethecitizensoftheStateofFlorida,whomyourepresentasStateAttorney.Atissueisthe

constitutionalandstatutoryrightofeverycitizenoftheStateofFloridatohaveopenand

noticedpublicmeetingswhenofficialactsaretobetakenoratwhichpublicbusinessofsuch

bodyistobetransactedordiscussed. Underthefactsbeforeus,Irespectfullyassertyouhave

adutytoinitiateaninvestigationonbehalfofthepeopleyoutookanoathtoserve.

proceedings, the names of all persons present at any time, and the names of all persons

speaking.No

portion

of

the

session

shall

be

off

the

record.

The

court

reporters

notes

shall

be

fullytranscribedandfiledwiththeentitysclerkwithinareasonabletimeafterthemeeting.

(d) Theentityshallgivereasonablepublicnoticeofthetimeanddateoftheattorneyclient

sessionandthenamesofpersonswhowillbeattendingthesession.Thesessionshallcommence

at an open meeting at which the persons chairing the meeting shall announce the

commencement and estimated length of the attorneyclient session and the names of the

persons attending. At the conclusion of the attorneyclient session, the meeting shall be

reopened,andthepersonchairingthemeetingshallannouncetheterminationofthesession.

8/9/2019 Meggs LetProsecutor asked to investigate ouster of Florida's top copter

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Hon.WilliamMeggs

January27,2015

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Finally,ifyoubelieveyourrecentpubliccommentsoranyothercircumstancesreflectan

unwillingnessor

an

inability

to

vigorously

pursue

this

matter

in

an

impartial

manner,

or

provide

abasisforadisablingconflictofinterest,thenpleaseindicatethatyouoryourofficechoosesto

recuseitselfandtheGovernorwill,presumably,assignthemattertoanotherStateAttorney.

Thankyouforyourimmediateattentiontothismatter,

Sincerely,

Matthew Weidner

MatthewD.Weidner

ENC