A Lakeland man is getting quite a reputation around Florida for filing lawsuits related to public records requests. 

Joel Chandler said he has filed about 100 lawsuits so far in cases where he believes agencies are violating the law. Those lawsuits have included several Bay Area law enforcement agencies and the Polk School District.

In some cases Chandler will go to a government facility and ask to inspect the visitors log as a very basic test of open government laws. The logs are considered a public document.

Bay News 9 followed Chandler as he visited several agencies. At a state office building in downtown Lakeland a worker gave Chandler immediate access to the visitors log.

In the lobby of the Lakeland Police Department Chandler was able to inspect the log after waiting for a few minutes for a supervisor. He was granted immediate access to a City of Lakeland log.

Things got interesting when Chandler asked to inspect the visitor log at privately-run guard shack at a City of Lakeland facility on Parker Street. The guard ordered Chandler to leave and called the police. A police officer arrived and advised guards that the visitor log was a public document.

Chandler was finally able to inspect the log after a city spokesman showed up and let guards know they were needed to show Chandler the document.

Chandler said even private guards should be trained to comply with the law.

"Ignorance of the law is no defense, number one," he said. "Beyond that, they are an agent of the state."

Chandler does have his critics. Former Polk School Board member Frank O'Reilly believes some of Chandler's lawsuits and public records requests waste taxpayer money.

"Do you keep on going till you hope that you can find something, until you can say gotcha," O'Reilly said.

Chandler believes his public records requests and lawsuits wouldn't be necessary if agencies simply followed the law.

"I  am doing it because I am vindicating the rights of the public to have access to what belongs to us," he said. "They are called public records for a reason. They belong to the public."

Chandler said he makes no money from his lawsuits. He said money from his court victories goes to pay for legal fees.