FL S0234

Revises the list of persons prohibited from disclosing grand jury witness testimony or evidence to explicitly include grand jurors, state attorneys, assistant state attorneys, reporters, stenographers, interpreters, and custodians of grand jury records

Creates a new exception allowing courts to order disclosure of grand jury testimony in response to a request by the media or an interested person when all of the following conditions are met: the subject of the inquiry is deceased, the inquiry involved criminal or sexual activity between the subject and a person who was a minor at the time, and the testimony was previously disclosed by court order

Requires that the state attorney be provided notice of any media or interested person request for grand jury testimony disclosure, and preserves the court's ability to limit disclosure, including through redaction

Clarifies that grand jury testimony disclosed for use in a criminal or civil case may only be used for the defense or prosecution of that specific case and for no other purpose

Violations constitute a first-degree misdemeanor punishable under s. 775.083, a fine up to $5,000, or both, and also constitute criminal contempt of court; effective date is July 1, 2024