18th Judicial Circuit Court, DuPage County Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Parties with legal basis to file under seal without prior order must e-file a motion for leave to seal, include standards explanation, and not attach the document to the motion.

Source text: A party who has a legal basis for filing a document under seal without prior court order must electronically file a motion for leave to file under seal. The motion must include an explanation of how the document meets the legal standards for filing sealed documents. The document in question may not be attached to the motion as an attachment.

Parties must redact SSNs, driver's license numbers, minor children's full names, full dates of birth, and financial account numbers in e-filed documents, using only last 4 digits, initials, or year as required.

Source text: In addition to the materials referenced in Supreme Court Rules 15 and 138, parties and their counsel shall refrain from including, or shall redact where inclusion is necessary, the following personal identifies from all documents electronically filed with the court, including exhibits, thereto, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. (a) Social Security Number and Driver’s License Number. If an individual’s social security number or driver’s license number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of the number shall be used. (b) Names of Minor Children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned, only the initials of that child’s name shall be used; however, if the minor is a named party to the action, the full name of the minor shall be used, absent leave of Court. (c) Dates of Birth. If an individual’s date of birth must be included in a document, only the year shall be used. (d) Financial Account Numbers and Debit/Credit Card Numbers. If financial account or Debit/Credit Card numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of these numbers shall be used.

Original eavesdropping device authorization applications and orders are impounded by the Clerk.

Source text: All original applications and orders of authorization for the use of eavesdropping devices, or denial orders, shall be retained by the Court and delivered to the Clerk of the Court who shall take custody thereof, assign a file number and impound the file subject to further order of the Court.

Filing parties must ensure e-filed documents do not disclose sealed/private info; sealed documents may be e-filed, with motion to seal requiring explanation of legal standards.

Source text: It is the responsibility of the filing party or counsel to ensure that documents filed electronically do not disclose previously or statutorily impounded or sealed information or private information defined in Supreme Court Rules 15 and 138. Documents in confidential, impounded, or sealed cases may be electronically filed. For cases not subject to mandatory E-Filing, documents may be submitted conventionally to the clerk’s office for filing. A party who has a legal basis for filing a document under seal motion must include an explanation of how the document meets the legal standards for filing sealed documents. The document in question may not be attached to the motion as an attachment.

Redact SSN/DL numbers (last 4), minor names (initials), DOB (year only), and financial account numbers (last 4) from e-filed documents unless court ordered.

Source text: In addition to the materials referenced in Supreme Court Rules 15 and 138, parties and their counsel shall refrain from including, or shall redact where inclusion is necessary, the following personal identifies from all documents electronically filed with the court, including exhibits, thereto, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. (a) Social Security Number and Driver’s License Number. If an individual’s social security number or driver’s license number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of the number shall be used. (b) Names of Minor Children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned, only the initials of that child’s name shall be used; however, if the minor is a named party to the action, the full name of the minor shall be used, absent leave of Court. (c) Dates of Birth. If an individual’s date of birth must be included in a document, only the year shall be used. (d) Financial Account Numbers and Debit/Credit Card Numbers. If financial account or Debit/Credit Card numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of these numbers shall be used.

All documents filed with the Circuit Court Clerk (except civil writs of attachment) must be redacted to protect privacy rights.

Source text: Because all documents filed with the Circuit Court Clerk are available to the public, pleadings, attachments to pleadings, discovery, orders, exhibits or other documents filed with the Circuit Court Clerk, with the exception of civil writs of attachment, shall be redacted to protect the privacy rights of everyone concerned.

Filed documents must redact SSN (last 4), minor children names, DOB (year only), financial account numbers (last 4), except civil writs of attachment.

Source text: They shall refrain from including, or shall redact where inclusion is necessary, the following personal identifiers, from all pleadings, discovery, orders, exhibits, or other documents filed with the Circuit Court Clerk, with the exception of civil writs of attachment, unless ordered otherwise by the Court: (1) Social Security Number. If an individual’s social security number must be included in a document, only the last four digits of the number shall be used. (2) Names of Minor Children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned, (3) Dates of Birth. If an individual’s date of birth must be included, only the year shall be used. (4) Financial Account Numbers. If financial account numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of these numbers shall be used.

Original pre-plea and pre-sentence reports must be filed in a sealed envelope with the Clerk, marked with report type and case number/title.

Source text: The original, in a sealed envelope, to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, marked “Pre-Sentence Report” or “Pre-Plea Report” and indicating the case number and title.