Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Clay, Duval and Nassau Counties Sealing & Redaction Procedures

The closing statement should not be publicly filed and should instead be submitted directly to the court under seal or brought to any hearing held.

The closing statement should NOT be filed with the Court and should be submitted to the Court directly under seal or be brought to the hearing if one is held.

Counsel should invoke the sealing process for private or sensitive information before the court record becomes publicly available.

If necessary, counsel should invoke the process of sealing private or sensitive information before the record becomes available as a public record.

Information obtained during discovery should not be filed absent good cause, which exists only when another procedural rule or a court order permits or requires filing.

At a minimum, pursuant to Rule 1.280(g), information should not be filed with the court absent good cause, which is satisfied only when the filing of the information is allowed or required by another applicable rule of procedure or by court order.

A party filing protected health information obtained by subpoena, discovery, or under a qualified protective order must identify it to the Circuit Court Clerk for sealing; a separate sealing order is not required.

Where a party who obtains protected health information from a covered entity by subpoena, other discovery, or in response to a qualified protective order, and the party files such information with the Court, the party shall identi$ such information to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for sealing. A separate order sealing the records is not required. Discovery shall only be filed with the Court in accordance with the Florida Rules of Procedure.

A party admitting protected health information into evidence must identify it to the Court and Circuit Court Clerk for the Court's determination whether to seal the evidence.

Any party who obtains protected health information from a covered entity where such information is admitted into evidence shall identifl, such information to the Court and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for a determination by the Court at that time whether the evidence will be sealed.

Counsel asserting privilege must send documents for in camera inspection to chambers in a sealed envelope marked “FOR IN CAMERA REVIEW/NOT TO BE FILED.”

For all documents submitted for in camera review pursuant to this Order, counsel for the party asserting the privileges raised shall send a cover letter to the Court’s chambers, enclosing documents for in camera inspection in a sealed envelope marked FOR IN CAMERA REVIEW/NOT TO BE FILED.

The judicial feedback form becomes a confidential document owned by the evaluated judge after evaluating counsel completes and transmits it.

Upon completion and transmittal by evaluating counsel, this judicial feedback form shall be the property of the evaluated judge and shall be a confidential document within the meaning of Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420(c)(4).

Materials submitted for in camera review will remain in camera through the case’s conclusion and may be filed under seal for appellate review.

The materials provided to the Court will be maintained in camera until the conclusion of this case and may be filed under seal for purposes of appellate review.