Michael Barfield v. Case Confidential
The Fifth DCA quashed a trial court's orders sealing an entire residential eviction court file that had been closed by stipulation of the landlord and tenant. The court held that a non-party member of the public has standing to challenge a closure order and that the litigants' names and matters inherent to a civil eviction proceeding are not subject to a reasonable expectation of privacy justifying closure under Rule 2.420(c)(9)(A)(vi), with no record support for closure under subsection (c)(9)(A)(i).
🔒 Read the full opinion, holding & search the library
The full opinion PDF, the rules the court applied, our significance analysis, the background facts, and full-text search across every tracked Florida decision are available to members. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card.
Not ready to sign up? Get the free Friday digest — the week's key Florida decisions by email, no login required.
Florida Court Tracker provides summaries of publicly available court opinions for informational and research purposes only. This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Always verify holdings against the official opinion.