Sealed Documents

Please note that, effective December 1, 2015, the Court's Local Rules regarding the filing of documents under seal in civil cases were significantly amended.  Before filing any documents under seal, or any applications for leave to file documents under seal, please review Local Rules 79-5, 79-6, and 79-7.  Unless the entire case is under seal, attorneys are now required to electronically file all sealed documents and applications for leave to file under seal in civil cases.  Please click here for detailed information about e-filing sealed documents.

Local Rule 79-5.2 provides that documents exempted from the requirement of being electronically filed must be presented for filing in paper format.  The original and the judge’s copy of all such documents must be submitted for filing in separate sealed envelopes, with a copy of the title page attached to the front of each envelope, and must be accompanied by a PDF version of the documents on a CD (unless otherwise ordered by the judge).  You must provide additional copies if you wish conformed copies.  Conformed copies need not be placed in sealed envelopes. They must not be placed in the envelope containing the original or judge’s copy of the document.

Anyone filing a sealed document or application for leave to file under seal that is not required to be e-filed should first review the assigned judge’s standing orders and specific procedures (which can be found here.)  Many judges are participating in a pilot program for the submission by e-mail of sealed documents that are not required to be e-filed, and require that such documents be presented in a manner different from that spelled out in the local rules.

However filed, electronically or otherwise, documents filed under seal must include in the caption, immediately under the title of the document, "FILED UNDER SEAL PURSUANT TO ORDER OF THE COURT DATED ___________."