VOLUSIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT'S EMAIL SERVER If you ever wish to know what is going on in Volusia County Government, we (VolusiaExposed.Com) suggests that you go on down to the County Email Server and request to search all the emails sent or received from Volusia County employees. For years now, VolusiaExposed.Com searches the county email server on a regular basis. We always discover some interesting information on our trips. There is one slight catch - although you as the person requesting to search the email will be knowledgeable on any secret squirrel information you discover, the county reviews the printed information for possible public record exemptions, prior to allowing you to take home a printed copy of the information that you have just read. ISN'T THE CAT ALREADY BEEN LET OUT OF THE BAG? Recently, VolusiaExposed was provided with a list of emails that the county has claimed as exempt from public record disclosure. The rationale given was that these issues where exempt, due to on going civil litigation (F.S. 119.071) and / or on going internal or criminal investigations (F.S. 119.011 & 119.071(2)). While we acknowledge that such exemptions exist, doesn't it also restrict those records from even being reviewed? Would it be problematic if we (VolusiaExposed) knew that in the Tracy Veira in-custody death lawsuit, that county attorneys were concerned that there wasn't a 09:45 entry on the VCDC 52 - Record of Segregation form? Or that senior county employees (county legal, etc) not involved in the conducting of internal misconduct investigations against several correctional officers, knew investigative details attached to those investigations, prior to the investigations being completed? Wait a minute ! - Who was leaking information about on going internal affairs investigations prior to their completion ? Is that a possible violation of F.S. 112.533 ? F.S. 112.533 (4) Any person who is a participant in an internal investigation, including the complainant, the subject of the investigation and the subject’s legal counsel or a representative of his or her choice, the investigator conducting the investigation, and any witnesses in the investigation, who willfully discloses any information obtained pursuant to the agency’s investigation, including, but not limited to, the identity of the officer under investigation, the nature of the questions asked, information revealed, or documents furnished in connection with a confidential internal investigation of an agency, before such complaint, document, action, or proceeding becomes a public record as provided in this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. However, this subsection does not limit a law enforcement or correctional officer’s ability to gain access to information under paragraph (2)(a). Additionally, a sheriff, police chief, or other head of a law enforcement agency, or his or her designee, is not precluded by this section from acknowledging the existence of a complaint and the fact that an investigation is underway. Would it also be problematic if VolusiaExposed knew, that at least one of the correctional officers involved in an internal investigation was looking at possible criminal charges being filed against him / her? Is it problematic that VolusiaExposed is aware of these, and other details, of alleged non completed internal affairs investigations? Does our apparent knowledge call into question whether these officers' rights were violated (see Florida Statutes 112.531-112.535)? Florida Statutes 112.531-112.535 Commonly Known as the Florida Officer's Bill of Rights STANDING BY FOR RECORDS Once VolusiaExposed does gain access to these records, we intend to further review them for inclusion to some future articles. Stand By to Stand By - this should get very interesting.

Click here for a PDF copy of the above documents