BILL CURRENTLY PENDING WOULD PROHIBIT RELEASE OF 911 CALL TAPES

A bill currently pending in the Florida Legislature that would prohibit the release of 911 call tapes passed the House Government Affairs Policy Committee today, March 10, 2010. Interested persons, including victims and their attorneys, would have to wait 60 days and then would only be able to get a transcript of the call. The actual tapes would only be accessible with a court order after a showing of good cause.

Spearheading the push to prohibit the release of the 911 tapes is John Hoblick, president of the Florida Farm Bureau. Mr. Hoblick’s 16 year old son died after a night of drinking and drug use. Governor Charlie Christ is opposed to restricting the release of the tapes.

Our firm has requested and used 911 call tapes on numerous occasions. They have been especially effective at mediations and settlement conferences in cases where our clients have been the victim of a drunk driver to show the erratic driving and behavior of a defendant.

Without the release of these tapes, there is also no accountability for the 911 operators. The Amber Lee case has been in the news repeatedly as there have been allegations that 911 calls were mishandled, including one made by the victim herself from the trunk of a car and one from a witness.