Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas, Ohio Sealing & Redaction Procedures

CRITICAL

A filing may not disclose HIPAA-protected health information unless law requires it in a confidential proceeding or an expert evaluation statement is required by law or court order.

Unless required by law in a confidential proceeding, and except in cases in which a statement of expert evaluation is required by law or by Court order, no filing may disclose any person’s health information that is protected under federal HIPAA law.

CRITICAL

Filings generally may not contain protected personal identifiers; account numbers may show only their last four digits, and court-ordered disclosure in a nonconfidential proceeding must be filed separately and kept out of the public record.

Unless otherwise required by law or by Court order, no document filed with the Court may contain any protected personal identifiers. Personal identifiers include social security numbers, account numbers, PIN’s, user names, passwords and digital access codes. Account numbers in any filing must be identified with only the last four digits of the actual account number. An example of an acceptable way to list an account number is, “xxxx-xxx-xx-1234.” If the Court orders disclosure of any personal identifiers in a proceeding that is not confidential by law, the information must be filed on a separate document, which will not become part of the public record.

CRITICAL

The decedent’s social security number must be redacted from the death certificate before it is filed.

The decedent’s social security number must be redacted from the certificate before filing.

CRITICAL

The decedent’s social security number must be redacted.

The decedent’s social security number must be redacted.

WARNING

If the Court grants a confidentiality request, it will seal the file during the case, and the file remains sealed if the name change is granted.

If the Court grants the applicant’s request, the Court will waive notice and seal the file during the pendency of the case. The file will remain sealed if the Court grants the name change.

INFO

A party may file an unredacted version of the document under seal.

File an un-redacted version of the document under seal.

INFO

A party may file a redacted document publicly and a reference list under seal; the list must link complete identifiers to their redacted versions and may be amended as of right.

File a redacted document in the public record and file a reference list under seal. The reference list shall contain the complete personal identifier(s) and the redacted identifier(s) used in its (their) place in the filing. All references in the case to the redacted identifier(s) included in the reference list will be construed to refer to the corresponding complete personal data identifier. The reference list must be filed under seal, and may be amended as of right;