State Attorney Willie Meggs’ office accidentally released Ray Sansom’s testimony to the Tallahassee grand jury to three media outlets, St. Pete Times, Palm Beach Post and the Bay Beacon in Niceville, late last week. For a short while, the St. Pete Times had it posted on its website, but later pulled it down.
Both Meggs and the St. Pete Times could be in trouble. It is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000. Disclosing or disseminating grand jury testimony also constitutes criminal contempt of court.
Florida Statute 905.27 states it is “knowingly publish, broadcast, disclose, or communicate to any other person, or permit to be published, broadcast, disclosed divulged or communicated to any other person, in any manner whatsoever, any testimony of a witness examined before the grand jury.”