Knox County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division Sealing & Redaction Procedures

CRITICAL

The filing party is responsible for omitting or redacting personal identifiers from case documents.

Pursuant to Rule 45(D) of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, it is the responsibility of the filing party to omit or redact personal identifiers from case documents.

CRITICAL

Filers must remove or redact personal and private identifiers from all documents before filing.

The filer shall remove or redact all personal or private identifiers and information, as defined by Sup. R. 44, including but not limited to all drivers license numbers, social security numbers, financial account identifiers, and HIPAA protected information, from all documents prior to filing.

CRITICAL

Custody evaluators must protect the parties’ and children’s confidentiality and may release case information only as authorized by the court or statute.

Did not protect the confidentiality of the parties and child(ren) with collateral contacts and not release information about the case to any individual except as authorized by the court or statute.

CRITICAL

The Clerk must seal covered Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers forms and maintain them electronically; the Clerk may destroy the original.

The Clerk of Courts shall seal all confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers forms filed pursuant to this rule. Thereafter, the Clerk may destroy the original form and shall maintain it in electronic form only.

CRITICAL

The Clerk of Courts must maintain a public file and a confidential file for each case.

In accordance with Rule 44(C)(2)(h) of the Ohio Rules of Superintendence, the Clerk of Courts shall maintain a public file and a confidential file for each case as set forth herein.

CRITICAL

On and after July 1, 2009, Rules 44 and 45 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio provide that parties and their attorneys should not include, or must redact where inclusion is necessary, certain personal identifiers in order to protect personal privacy. Personal identifiers should be omitted or redacted from all case documents submitted to the Court or filed with the Clerk, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

On and after July 1, 2009, Rules 44 and 45 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio provide that parties and their attorneys should not include, or must redact where inclusion is necessary, certain personal identifiers in order to protect personal privacy. Personal identifiers should be omitted or redacted from all case documents submitted to the Court or filed with the Clerk, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

CRITICAL

The report is sealed upon admission into evidence and may be unsealed only by court order upon a showing of good cause.

The Court will cause the report to be sealed upon its being admitted into evidence. The report may be unsealed only pursuant to the order of the Court and upon a showing of good cause.

CRITICAL

A person signing the agreement must not disseminate the report by any means or share the report or recommendations with the subject children; unauthorized disclosure may result in court action, including contempt penalties.

_____ (name), hereby signs this Non-Disclosure Agreement. I understand that I am prohibited from disseminating the report by any means, including by social media. I understand that the reports or the recommendations shall not be shared with the minor child(ren) who is/are the subject of this case. I understand that unauthorized disclosure or distribution of the report may subject me to court action, including penalties for contempt which include fines and/or incarceration.

CRITICAL

Information that must be excluded from the public record must be redacted before filing any document with the Clerk of Courts.

other information that must be excluded from public record and shall be redacted prior to filing any document with the Clerk of Courts in accordance with the Rules of the Court and the Rules of Superintendence.

CRITICAL

Redact personal identifiers before filing.

Please remember to redact any personal identifiers PRIOR to filing.

CRITICAL

Documents excluded from the definition of a case document must be maintained by the Clerk of Courts in a separate confidential file.

The documents submitted to the Court or filed with the Clerk of Courts excluded from the definition of “case document” as listed in section (B) shall be kept in a separate file, known as the “confidential file,” to be maintained by the Clerk of Courts in accordance with these local rules of Court.

CRITICAL

The Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers form must be kept in the Clerk of Court’s Confidential File.

A. All actions for divorce, dissolution, or legal separation, and in all actions or motions asking to establish or modify spousal support or child support, the parties shall file the Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers form found in Item 1 of the Appendix (which shall be kept in the Confidential File by the Clerk of Court) and Supreme Court of Ohio approved financial affidavits which fully and accurately disclose income, expenses, property, and debts.

CRITICAL

The contents of the personal-identifiers disclosure form are not subject to public disclosure.

The contents of this form will not be subject to public disclosure.

CRITICAL

Before filing a document publicly, the filing party must omit or redact any social security number or other individual identifying information in it.

If there are documents which are to be filed in the public file containing a social security number or any other individual identifying information, the filing party shall omit or redact the personal identifiers on those documents prior to submitting them for filing in the public file.

CRITICAL

The report must be maintained in a confidential family file and may not be duplicated or otherwise disseminated.

The Guardian ad Litem shall file the report with the Clerk of Court, who shall maintain the report in a confidential, family file in compliance with Rule 44 (C)(2)(h) of the Ohio Rules of Superintendence. No person shall duplicate or otherwise disseminate the report in any manner.

CRITICAL

No person may duplicate or otherwise disseminate the Guardian ad Litem report.

No person shall duplicate or otherwise disseminate the report in any manner.

CRITICAL

Custody Evaluator reports must be filed with the Clerk and kept confidential; access is limited, recipients must sign a nondisclosure agreement, and reports must not be shared with the subject children.

The Custody Evaluator shall file the report with the Clerk of Court, who shall maintain the report in a confidential, family file in compliance with Rule 44 (C)(2)(v) of the Ohio Rules of Superintendence, to be released only to unrepresented parties and legal counsel. The Clerk of Court shall permit unrepresented parties and counsel to obtain a copy of the report, but any unrepresented party and counsel shall be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (Item 17) prohibiting them from disseminating the report by any means, including by social media. In particular, reports or the recommendations shall not be shared with minor children who are the subject of the case. Unauthorized disclosure or distribution of the report may be subject to court action, including penalties for contempt which include fines and/or incarceration.

CRITICAL

Case documents must be filed and maintained by the Clerk of Courts in the public file.

Case documents shall be filed and maintained by the Clerk of Courts in a public file.

CRITICAL

Documents filed under seal must be submitted to the clerk in paper form.

However, the documents to be filed under seal shall be filed with the clerk of courts in paper form.

WARNING

A person without ordinary access may seek permission to copy confidential-file documents by written motion showing good cause and specifying the reasons, documents, and copying arrangements.

Upon written motion, for good cause shown, the Court may enter an order permitting a person who is not permitted access to a Court file under section (E) of this rule to copy documents in a confidential file. Such motion shall set forth specific reasons which demonstrate why the interests of justice necessitate the copying of a document in the confidential file, and shall specify the particular documents to be copied and the arrangements under which the copying shall take place.

WARNING

Personal data identifiers should be filed under separate cover in accordance with Sup. R. 44 and 45.

(a) CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Personal data identifiers should be filed under separate cover in accordance with Sup. R. 44 and 45.

WARNING

The rule’s restrictions on public access apply only to relevant documents filed on or after January 1, 2016.

The provisions of this rule restricting public access to certain documents shall apply only to those relevant documents filed on or after January 1, 2016.

WARNING

At the conclusion of the case, the Guardian ad Litem must maintain the confidentiality of records received under the order.

At the conclusion of the case, the Guardian ad Litem shall maintain the confidentiality of records received pursuant to this order.

WARNING

Filers are responsible for removing personal or confidential identifiers and document metadata, even if the portal warning is not posted.

The following warning shall be posted on the court's e-filing portal: "WARNING: Removal of Personal and Private or Confidential Identifiers, and document metadata is the responsibility of the filer. Any Personal and Private or Confidential Identifiers, or document metadata remaining may become part of the public record." The failure to post this warning on the court's e-filing portal does not change or alter the responsibility of the filer and does not impose any obligation on the clerk of courts or the court.

WARNING

On a party’s motion or its own motion, the Court may order other documents containing personal information kept in the confidential file.

Upon motion of any party or upon the Court’s own motion, other documents containing personal information that the party/Court believes should be treated as a confidential document may be ordered to be kept in the confidential file.

WARNING

The Guardian ad Litem must keep information received from the listed sources confidential, with disclosure allowed only to the parties and counsel, in reports to the Court, or as necessary to perform the Guardian ad Litem's duties.

The Guardian ad Litem assigned to this cause shall maintain any information received from any such source as confidential and will not disclose the same except to the parties and their legal counsel, in reports to the Court, or as necessary to perform the duties of a guardian ad litem, including as a mandated reporter.

WARNING

Personal identifiers should be omitted or redacted from documents submitted to the Court or filed with the Clerk, unless the Court orders otherwise.

Personal identifiers should be omitted or redacted from all case documents submitted to the Court or filed with the Clerk, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

WARNING

If a filing contains listed confidential information, check the applicable box so the Clerk places it in the confidential side of the file.

Does this filing contain any of the following confidential information? If so, check which box applies. This will alert the Clerk of Courts to place the filing in the confidential side of the file. Failure to do so may result in a filing being placed in the public file.

INFO

Court personnel and Guardians ad Litem may inspect and review the confidential file while performing their duties or as directed by the Court.

Contents of the confidential file shall be available for inspection and review by Court personnel and Guardians ad Litem in the performance of their required duties, or as the Court may direct.

INFO

Parties, counsel of record, and representatives of the named child-support and child-protection agencies may copy, inspect, and review the confidential file.

Contents of the confidential file may be copied, inspected and reviewed by the parties, an attorney of record in the case, representatives of the Knox County Child Support Services, and representatives of Child Protective Services.