Attorneys representing The Walt Disney Company and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District agreed to a timeline leading up to a June trial date for the public records lawsuit Disney filed against the District last month.
Disney vs. CFTOD Public Records Lawsuit
On Thursday morning, the attorneys agreed to this preliminary timeline:
- February 23: Amended pleadings and motions
- April 12: Completion of facts and expert discovery
- March 1: Written discovery
- Mid-to-late March: Mediation (if necessary or agreed to)
- June 17: Pre-trail meeting
- June 24: Trial begins
In the lawsuit filed on December 22, Disney claims the District has not complied with Florida’s public records law, leading to a delay in the retrieval of a document they asked for in May of 2023.
On the public records front, this has led to delays, inadequate preservation, storage and production of public records, and improper and unsupported claims of privilege and exemption from disclosure, in violation of the Florida Constitution and Chapter 119. In this case, the delay is so extreme that CFTOD still has yet to fully respond to a public records request Disney submitted seven months ago, in May of this year.
As set out in this Complaint, CFTOD has prevented Disney from discovering the actions of its government through public records requests, in violation of Florida law. The Court should grant Disney relief.
This is a separate lawsuit from the District’s suit against Disney, in which Disney has filed a Motion to Compel Discovery. The District has refused to hand over the documents Disney requested. A hearing regarding that issue was held earlier this week and the judge has yet to announce a decision.
The federal lawsuit Disney filed against the District and Governor Ron DeSantis is also ongoing.
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