Woodford County Circuit Court, Kentucky Sealing & Redaction Procedures

CRITICALCriminal cases

Mental Health Court proceedings must be confidential and closed unless the judge authorizes otherwise.

Mental Health Court proceedings shall be confidential, and all proceedings shall be closed unless otherwise authorized by the Judge.

CRITICAL

During adoption proceedings, court files and records may be inspected only by parties, their attorneys, and authorized Cabinet representatives, unless the Family Court expressly permits inspection by order.

H. Pursuant to KRS 199.570(1)(a), the files and records of the Court during adoption proceedings shall not be open to inspection by persons other than parties to the proceedings, their attorneys, and representatives of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services acting in their official capacity without order of the Family Court expressly permitting inspection.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Documents in a participant’s Mental Health Court case file must remain confidential and may not be released.

Documents contained in a participant's Mental Health Court case file shall be confidential and shall not be released.

CRITICAL

After final judgment in an adoption case, the Circuit Clerk must seal all case papers and records in an envelope, and they may be inspected only by written court order.

Pursuant to KRS 199.570(1)(b), upon the entry of the final judgment in the case, the Circuit Clerk shall place all papers and records in the case in a suitable envelope which shall be sealed and shall not be open for inspection by any person except on written order of the Court.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Mental Health Court documents other than the listed documents must be kept confidential and under seal.

All other Mental Health Court documents shall be kept confidential and under seal:

CRITICAL

The Circuit Clerk may not release covered Family Court video records without a specific written order from a Family Court Judge.

The Circuit Clerk shall not release any Family Court video record of in-chamber interviews with children or other court proceeding closed by statute, rule or court order without a specific written order of a Family Court Judge.

CRITICAL

When covered filings contain personal identifiers, parties must file a redacted copy and an unredacted copy in a marked, sealed envelope.

Where personal identifiers are required by statute or contained in other documents or exhibits filed with the court pursuant to the above-stated chapters, parties shall comply with CR 7.03(1)(b) by filing one copy from which any personal data has been redacted and filing an unredacted copy in a marked and sealed envelope.

CRITICAL

The petitioner’s and any minor child’s addresses must be withheld from the public and respondents, but CHFS representatives may access them when investigating a pending case.

D. Pursuant to KRS 403.770(1) the petitioner's address and the address of any minor child shall not be made available to the public, or to the person or persons named as the respondent in the protection order. Representatives of the CHFS may have access if investigating a pending case.

CRITICAL

The Circuit Clerk must seal qualifying temporary custody orders and background checks; access is limited to the parties, their counsel, persons authorized by court order, and official Cabinet representatives.

Temporary Custody Orders granted pursuant to KRS 199.473(7) and accompanying background checks shall be sealed by the Circuit Clerk and not opened to inspection by persons other than the parties to such proceedings and their counsel or by court order. Representatives of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services acting in their official capacity shall not be denied access.

WARNING

Pleadings, documents, and exhibits in actions deemed confidential by statute need not be redacted; access is governed by the rules and statutes cited.

Pleadings, documents or exhibits filed in actions deemed confidential by statute need not be redacted, and any access to those files shall be governed by these rules and by KRS 199.570, KRS 610.340, KRS 625.045 and KRS 625.108.

WARNING

The restriction on release of video records does not apply to qualifying public officers or employees, who may use and distribute the information only for authorized investigation or prosecution.

Pursuant to KRS 610.340(2), Rule 902(A) shall not apply to public officers or employees engaged in the investigation and prosecution of cases under KRS Chapters 600 through 645 or other prosecutions authorized by the Kentucky Revised Statutes, as certified by that public officer or employee. Said public officer or employee shall use and distribute this information only for investigation or prosecution of offenses under the Kentucky Revised Statutes.