Notice of Upcoming Changes to Redaction of Private Information in Certain Court Records

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2021

CONTACT:    
Tami Pearce Simmons, Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller

tsimmons@gladesclerk.com
(863)-946-6010          

Glades County Clerk’s Office Issues Notice of Upcoming Changes to Redaction of Private Information in Certain Court Records

Moore Haven, Fla. – Tami Pearce Simmons, Glades County’s Clerk of Court and Comptroller, is issuing a notice to the public about a recent change in the filing of court records with regard to the redaction of confidential information.

In accordance with a recent amendment by the Florida Supreme Court, to Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420, “the clerk will not be required to identify and designate information as confidential,” in circuit civil, county civil and small claims court documents.

Effective July 1, 2021, filers will be solely responsible for ensuring any confidential information contained in filings in these cases is appropriately redacted or identified for redaction. 

All filers, including attorneys and self-represented litigants, will be required to:

  • File a Notice of Confidential Information in circuit civil, county civil and small claims court cases when filing documents with Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, or other non-public information;
  • Identify the precise location(s) of confidential information within the document, including each page number on which it appears; and
  • Identify the type of confidential information or provision that applies to the identified information.

The amended rule affects small claims court filings and circuit and county court civil cases, except for Jimmy Ryce civil commitments, cases stemming from sexual assault, and medical malpractice filings.

Clerks around the state are currently exploring options across county offices to address the amendment’s broad implementation. However, the Glades County Clerk office suggests attorneys, legal professionals, self-represented litigants and other individuals who file court documents review the amendment and become fully familiar with the rule change so that confidential information is not made public.

The Florida Supreme Court’s amendment to Rule 2.420 can be found here.

Please visit www.gladesclerk.com or contact Glades County Clerk of Court at (863)946-6010 to access the Notice of Confidential Information within Court Filing document for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit.