Last March , I wrote an article notifying Sarasota Bar members of pending changes to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 , which shifts the burden of protecting confidential information from the Clerk of the Court to the filer of certain civil court documents . The Rule requires documents filed with the Clerk of the Court to be accompanied by a Notice identifying any confidential information and its precise location within each document .
Failure to comply with the Notice requirements in Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 ( d )( 2 ) may lead to confidential information being released to the public , because the amendment removes the Clerk ’ s responsibility to check for confidential information . Releasing confidential information that should have been redacted is not in anyone ’ s
CLERK ’ S CORNER
Karen E . Rushing Clerk of Court and County Comptroller
CLERK ’ S CORNER
Protecting confidential information is your responsibility
best interest , and I am asking for your assistance to help spread the word about the new redaction rule and how it affects your clients .
Last month , Clerk Colonneso and I released an advertising campaign throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties notifying the public of these changes . Although coverage of these ads , along with website notices and newspaper articles , reached thousands of people in our communities , we remain concerned that
See CLERK , Page 17
By PYE YOUNG , Esq . and JEFF ECKERT , Esq . Bay Area Legal Services , Inc .
Studies on low-income and veteran populations have linked poor health outcomes and homelessness to unresolved legal problems . The Bay Pines VA Medical-Legal Partnership ( MLP ) is a collaborative effort between the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and Bay Area Legal Services to address the civil legal problems that threaten the wellbeing of veterans and their families . The MLP connects eligible veterans with free legal help , most notably addressing veteran-specific legal problems like securing hard-earned mental and health benefits or resolving general civil legal problems such as housing needs , family law matters , and more . Unfortunately , the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these interrelated medical and legal issues .
Since 2017 , the Bay Pines MLP has served more than 2,000 veterans using the expertise of Bay Area Legal ’ s staff
LEGAL AID CORNER
Bay Pines Medical-Legal Partnership serves local veterans
attorneys Pye Young and Jeff Eckert . In 2018 , recognizing the need to address a gap in services to veterans in Manatee and Sarasota counties , Bay Area Legal began providing monthly legal outreach at the Manatee and Sarasota Bay Pines VA Outreach Clinics . Under the leadership of Tom Icard ( serving on Bay Area Legal ’ s Board of Directors at the time ), a dedicated group of local attorneys and judges committed to addressing the legal needs of veterans . With the additional support of an anonymous local donor and a Florida Bar Foundation grant , Bay Area Legal was able to expand veteran services to Manatee and Sarasota counties .
These extended services provide life-changing results for people like Jesse Hughes , a US Army Veteran who was homeless when he first visited the onsite MLP at the Bay Pines VA . He was undergoing treatment for substance abuse at the VA Domiciliary , and he wanted to know if he qualified for benefits . A Bay Area Legal attorney at the MLP assisted Jesse with applying for
his benefits , making sure to note that he was homeless and living at the VA to expedite the claim . Less than one month later , Jesse was awarded his pension benefit , which gave him the foundation he needed to transition back into the community . Today , Jesse is drug-free , has stable housing , and works fulltime at the VA as a medical supply technician .
Bay Area Legal Services is also pleased to highlight the wonderful partnership with Legal Aid of Manasota ( LAMS ) and their Veterans Legal Needs Pro Bono Panel . In response to the growing need for legal assistance for veterans and to the interest by private attorneys in Manatee and Sarasota counties to provide pro bono services , Bay Area Legal partnered with LAMS and critical private attorney stakeholders to collaborate on the creation of a Veterans Pro Bono Legal Panel in Manatee and Sarasota counties . The Bay Area Legal MLP has also provided legal aid and outreach to
See BAY PINES , Page 20
THE DOCKET · AUGUST 2021 15