(1) The judge, clerks or deputy clerks, or authorized agents of the department shall each have the power to administer oaths and affirmations.

(2) The court shall make and keep records of all cases brought before it pursuant to this chapter and shall preserve the records pertaining to a child in need of services until 10 years after the last entry was made or until the child is 18 years of age, whichever date is first reached, and may then destroy them. The court shall make official records, consisting of all petitions and orders filed in a case arising pursuant to this chapter and any other pleadings, certificates, proofs of publication, summonses, warrants, and other writs which are filed in the case.

(3) The clerk shall keep all court records required by this chapter separate from other records of the circuit court. Court records required by this chapter are not open to inspection by the public. All such records may be inspected only upon order of the court by a person deemed by the court to have a proper interest therein, except that, subject to the provisions of s. 63.162, a child and the parents or legal custodians of the child and their attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and the department and its designees may inspect and copy any official record pertaining to the child. The court may permit authorized representatives of recognized organizations compiling statistics for proper purposes to inspect and make abstracts from official records, under whatever conditions upon their use and disposition the court deems proper, and may punish by contempt proceedings any violation of those conditions.

(4) Except as provided in subsection (3), all information obtained pursuant to this chapter in the discharge of official duty by any judge, employee of the court, authorized agent of the department, or law enforcement agent is confidential and may not be disclosed to anyone other than the authorized personnel of the court, the department and its designees, law enforcement agencies, and others entitled under this chapter to receive that information, except upon order of the court.

(5) All orders of the court entered pursuant to this chapter must be in writing and signed by the judge, except that the clerk or a deputy clerk may sign a summons or notice to appear.

(6) A court record of proceedings under this chapter is not admissible in evidence in any other civil or criminal proceeding, except that:

(a) Records of proceedings under this chapter forming a part of the record on appeal shall be used in the appellate court.

(b) Records that are necessary in any case in which a person is being tried upon a charge of having committed perjury are admissible in evidence in that case.

History.—s. 8, ch. 87-133; s. 7, ch. 90-53; s. 241, ch. 95-147; s. 34, ch. 96-398; s. 92, ch. 97-238.

Note.—Former s. 39.443; s. 39.4451.