Weighing issues of open government and victims' rights, a Leon County circuit judge rejected an attempt to shield the identities of police officers who were involved in use-of-force incidents.

The ruling by Judge Charles Dodson came in a closely watched case about how to apply Marsy's Law, a 2018 state constitutional amendment that expanded victims' rights. Two Tallahassee police officers contended that the amendment should shield the release of their names because they had been victims in incidents that required the use of force, including a high-profile incident in which an officer shot and killed a transgender man.

But Dodson wrote that the "explicit language of Marsy's Law was not intended to apply to law enforcement officers when acting in their official capacity" and said the case involved balancing victims' rights with the "public's right to hold government accountable by inspecting public records."