St. Louis County Circuit Court Sealing & Redaction Procedures

CRITICAL

Issued search warrants, their applications, and supporting affidavits remain confidential until the warrant return or expiration, whichever occurs first, and may be made available to another person only by written order of the issuing judge or Presiding Judge.

Search warrants issued, all applications therefor, and any supporting affidavit or affidavits shall be confidential records, until the return is made on the warrant or until the warrant expires, whichever is earlier, and shall not be made available to any other person except upon written order of the Judge issuing the search warrant or of the Presiding Judge.

CRITICAL

A document submitted for a judge’s or commissioner’s signature that will be public once signed and filed must include both an unredacted version and a version redacted to remove confidential information under Court Operating Rule 2.

Any document, including but not limited to proposed judgments, submitted by an attorney or party in any manner ( either electronically or in court) for a judge or commissioner’s signature that will be public ( Security Level 1 or 2) once signed and filed must include an unredacted and redacted version that removes all confidential information as set forth in Court Operating Rule 2.

CRITICAL

Documents relating to SATOP assessment, assignments, and completion must remain confidential.

all documents relating to the program assessment, assignments and completion shall remain confidential.

CRITICAL

Records kept confidential by the Presiding Judge under subsection (8) may be made available to a person only by the Presiding Judge's written order.

Records made confidential by order of the Presiding Judge pursuant to subsection (8) shall not be made available to any person except upon written order of the Presiding Judge.

CRITICAL

The filer must redact confidential information from documents, subject to the stated exceptions for minor identifying information and confidential records or documents.

Confidential Information to be Redacted. Pursuant to Court Operating Rule 2, the filer of a document shall redact all confidential information (“Confidential Information”).

CRITICAL

Confidential records and documents may not be produced to anyone other than parties or counsel of record without a court order.

(E) Court Order. Confidential Records and Confidential Documents, as set forth above, shall not be produced to individuals other than parties or counsel of record without a court order.

CRITICAL

After the warrant return or expiration, whichever occurs first, the warrant, application, and supporting affidavits are generally available for inspection, but the Presiding Judge may keep them confidential during an ongoing related investigation upon a party's application showing good cause.

After the return is made on a search warrant or after the warrant expires, whichever is earlier, the search warrant and the application therefor, along with any supporting affidavit or affidavits accompanying the applications shall be available for inspection as are records of the court generally, provided that upon application of a party for good cause shown, the Presiding Judge may order that the warrant, application, and any affidavits remain confidential during the pendency of an ongoing investigation to which these documents relate.

CRITICAL

The monthly report must omit the defendant's name for closed records and black out the name in cases that are nolle prossed, dismissed, or result in a not-guilty finding.

If a record is closed under Chapter 610, R.S.Mo., the Court Administrator shall not include the name of the defendant in the monthly report. For all cases that are nolle prossed, dismissed, or those in which the defendant is found not guilty, the Court Administrator shall supply all the required information, but black out the defendant’s name.

WARNING

A minor’s name and date of birth need not be redacted in the specified probate matters, and confidential information need not be redacted from confidential case records or documents unavailable to the public.

For purposes of probate matters in which the minor is a proposed ward/protectee, ward/protectee, an heir/devisee, or other interested party, the minor’s name and date of birth are not considered confidential information and are not required to be redacted. The filer of a document is not required to redact Confidential Information from confidential case records or confidential documents identified below in Rule 72.3-72.4 because said documents are not available for public access.

WARNING

The specified Confidential Documents in probate cases, including the listed financial and vital-record documents, must remain inaccessible to the general public.

Confidential Documents. Confidential Documents, as set forth by the State Judicial Records Committee and designated below in subparagraphs (i)-(vi), shall remain inaccessible to the general public. Confidential Documents in probate cases shall include: 1. Inventories, annual and final settlements, statements of account, account statements, vouchers, verifications, agreements of depositories, birth certificates, death certificates, and case information filing sheets;

WARNING

Confidential Records under Supreme Court Operating Rule 4.24 must remain inaccessible to the general public.

Confidential Records. Confidential Records, as set forth in Supreme Court Operating Rule 4.24, shall remain inaccessible to the general public.