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

CRITICAL

Parties must omit the specified personal identifiers from case documents before submitting or filing them.

Personal identifiers must be omitted prior to submission or filing. A personal identifier is a social security number except for the last four digits; financial account numbers, including but not limited to debit card, charge card and credit card numbers; and a minor child’s name when the minor child is a victim in any kind of case; and a minor child’s name when a party is seeking service by publication or posting. (A) When submitting a case document to the Court or filing a case document with the Clerk of Courts, a party to a judicial action or proceeding shall omit personal identifiers from the document.

CRITICAL

Agency records submitted for in camera review must be kept as non-public records in the Court’s unofficial file.

Agency records submitted for in camera review shall be maintained as non-public records in the Court’s unofficial file.

CRITICAL

The listed reports are confidential and kept in the unofficial file; counsel may view them at the clerk’s office after signing in and out, while pro se litigants may inspect them only with leave of Court.

Psychological reports, guardian ad litem reports, drug/alcohol assessments, victim impact statements, and school reports are confidential information and shall not be made public. These documents are contained in the unofficial file. Counsel of record may view these reports at the clerk’s office. Counsel must sign in and out with the clerk. Inspection by pro se litigants may be permitted only by leave of the Court.

CRITICAL

Counsel must return copies of agency records not entered into evidence to the Juvenile Court when trial concludes.

If not entered into evidence, counsel shall return any copies of agency records to the Juvenile Court at the conclusion of the trial.

CRITICAL

Parents may not access the interview report, and the interview record or transcript must remain sealed unless the Court opens it or orders it opened.

The parents shall have no access to the report of the interview, even if the record has been transcribed for purposes of appeal or objections. The record or transcript shall be sealed, to be opened only by the Court or upon order of the Court.

CRITICAL

Foster-caregiver information is non-public, unavailable to the public and parties, and maintained in the unofficial file.

(C) Information provided regarding foster caregivers to assist the Court in fulfilling its duties under this rule is non-public and will not be available to the public, including any party to a case. The Court shall maintain this information in the unofficial file.

CRITICAL

Intake and Probation Department reports and records, including the listed reports and histories, are confidential and must not be made public.

Pursuant to O.R.C. 2151.14 reports and records of the Intake and Probation Departments, including social history or report of a mental or physical examination, or reports from community agencies serving the Court shall be considered confidential and shall not be made public.

CRITICAL

Agency records released to counsel for trial use must be designated “counsel only” and may not be reproduced, copied, or disseminated.

Agency records released to the counsel for use at trial shall be designated as “counsel only” materials, which may not be reproduced, copied or disseminated in any way.

CRITICAL

The written custody evaluation report is not available for public access under Sup.R. 44 through 47.

The written report shall not be available for public access pursuant to Sup.R. 44 through 47.

CRITICAL

With Court authorization, counsel may copy selected records for trial use only; records entered into evidence must be retained only as long as needed for trial or possible appeal and then destroyed.

If authorized by the Court, counsel may make copies of select records for use at trial only, and if entered into evidence the records shall be retained only so long as they are needed for the purposes of trial or possible appeal. They shall thereafter be destroyed.

CRITICAL

Records submitted in this process must redact the identity of a child-abuse or neglect referent and identifying information about foster parents.

The identity of a referent of child abuse/neglect and identifying information regarding the foster parents shall be redacted.

CRITICAL

Custody evaluation reports and recommendations may be disclosed only to the listed recipients, may not be posted on social media or shared with the subject minor children, and unauthorized disclosure may result in court action.

Custody evaluation reports and recommendations shall not be disseminated to anyone other than the individuals listed in (E)(1) nor placed on social media. Reports of the recommendations shall not be shared with minor children who are the subject of the case. Unauthorized disclosure of distribution of the report may be subject to court action, including the penalties of contempt which include fines and/or incarceration.

CRITICAL

The party alone is responsible for omitting personal identifiers; the Court or Clerk need not review the document and must not refuse it for that reason.

(F) The responsibility for omitting personal identifiers from a case document submitted to a Court or filed with the Clerk of Courts shall rest solely with the party. The Court or Clerk is not required to review the case document to confirm that the party has omitted personal identifiers, and shall not refuse to accept or file the document on that basis.

CRITICAL

Parties must omit personal identifiers from case documents, submit the information separately on Form K, and provide redacted identifiers to another party only by motion after court approval.

When submitting a case document to this Court or filing a case document with the Clerk of Courts, a party shall omit personal identifiers from the document as required in Sup. R. 45(D). (B) The party shall submit that information separately, using Form K as provided in the appendix. (C) Redacted personal identifiers shall be provided to a party to the judicial action upon motion after approval by the Court.

CRITICAL

Mediation communications must remain confidential and may not be filed on the docket; only documents concerning mediation scheduling, a stay, or reactivation and termination may be filed.

(3) Mediation communications are confidential and shall not be filed into the court docket. The only documents to be filed into the docket are as follows: (a) Documents related to scheduling the mediation, (b) Documents staying the case during mediation, and (c) Documents related to reactivating the case and terminating the mediation.

CRITICAL

The decedent’s Social Security number must be redacted from the death-certificate copy submitted with the application.

Upon the filing of the respective application, the applicant shall exhibit to the Court a copy of the decedent’s death certificate, with redaction of decedent’s social security number, and a copy of the paid funeral bill or contract evidencing the obligation to pay such bill.

CRITICAL

A guardian ad litem must keep specified personal identifiers and safety-sensitive addresses confidential and may ask the Court to restrict report access, while the Court may restrict access or order disclosure under protective conditions.

A guardian ad litem shall maintain the confidential nature of personal identifiers, as defined in Rule 44 of the Rules of Superintendence, or addresses where there are allegations of domestic violence or risk to a party’s or child’s safety. A guardian ad litem may recommend that the Court restrict access to the report or a portion of the report to preserve the privacy, confidentiality, or safety of the parties, witnesses, or the person for whom the guardian ad litem was appointed in accordance with Rule 45 of the Rules of Superintendence. Upon such application, the Court, under such conditions as may be necessary to protect from potential harm the witnesses, parties, or person for whom the guardian ad litem was appointed, may restrict access or order disclosure of or access to the information that addresses the need to challenge the truth of the information received from the proposed confidential source.

CRITICAL

A guardian ad litem requesting confidential treatment of all or part of a report must submit a written request with supporting reasons, and the Court will rule on it without affecting counsel’s or the parties’ right to view the report.

If a guardian ad litem believes that the entire report or portions thereof should be filed as “confidential,” the guardian ad litem shall submit a written request, with supporting reasons for recommending such confidentiality, with the Court, providing copies of such request to all counsel and unrepresented parties. Such request shall be submitted to the Court by the guardian ad litem at least one (1) Court day prior to the day that the written report is required to be filed. The Court will thereupon rule upon such a request. The decision of the Court shall not affect the right of counsel or the parties to access and view the guardian ad litem written report.

CRITICAL

A party requesting service by publication or posting must use the minor child’s initials instead of the child’s name.

(B) When submitting a request for service by publication or posting, the party shall substitute the minor child’s name with the child’s initials.

CRITICAL

Information in the child placement form must be kept from the public and all parties.

NON-PUBLIC: INTENDED FOR COURT PERSONNEL ONLY Information contained in this form must not be made available to the public or any party.

CRITICAL

Authorized counsel inspections must proceed under the Clerk’s Office’s direction, and records may not be copied without a Court order.

The inspection of the records by counsel, if authorized by the Judge or Magistrate, shall proceed under the direction of the Clerk’s Office as set out in Pick. Juv. R. 5. No copies of the records shall be made absent a Court Order.

CRITICAL

Agency records retained by the Court must be kept under seal and not disclosed again to third parties.

To the extent the records are to be retained by the Court, they shall be kept in a sealed record and not re-disclosed to third parties.

CRITICAL

The applicant must delete any notation of the decedent’s Social Security Number before filing.

Any notation to decedent’s Social Security Number shall be deleted by the applicant prior to filing.

CRITICAL

The Court must keep the entire Security Plan confidential and outside the public record.

The Pickaway County Probate Court has determined the entire Security Plan as submitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio, effective January 1, 2001, be maintained as confidential and not a matter of public record.

CRITICAL

When a receiver’s filing refers to trade secrets or necessarily references attorney-client or work-product communications, redacted documents may be filed publicly and served on appearing parties, while a complete unredacted document must be submitted to the court for in camera review; the court may later reconsider disclosure upon application.

If a receiver’s report, motion, fee application or other filing refers to trade secrets (such as a plan for operating an ongoing business, proposed sale prices, customer information, personnel matters, or other non-public information) or would necessarily reference attorney-client or work product communications, than redacted documents may be filed in the public record and served upon all parties that have appeared. When that occurs, a complete un-redacted document shall be submitted to the court for in camera review. Upon application by the receiver or any party, the Court will re-examine the document and determine whether previously redacted information should be disclosed.

CRITICAL

Records of unofficial matters are inaccessible to anyone other than Court staff unless the Court consents to access.

No person, except for Court staff, shall have access to records of unofficial matters, without the consent of the Court.

CRITICAL

Custody evaluation reports and recommendations may be disseminated only to the individuals identified in (E)(1), may not be posted on social media, and recommendations may not be shared with the minor children who are the subject of the case; unauthorized disclosure may result in contempt penalties.

Custody evaluation reports and recommendations shall not be disseminated to anyone other than the individuals listed in (E)(1) nor placed on social media. Reports of the recommendations shall not be shared with minor children who are the subject of the case. Unauthorized disclosure of distribution of the report may be subject to court action, including the penalties of contempt which include fines and/or incarceration.

CRITICAL

Redacted or omitted personal identifiers must be provided to the Court or Clerk upon request, or to a party upon motion.

(E) Redacted or omitted personal identifiers shall be provided to the Court or Clerk upon request, or to a party to the judicial action or proceeding upon Motion.

WARNING

Parties and their legal representatives may access guardian ad litem reports only in person at the Juvenile Clerk’s office, and copies must be made available upon request.

Any written report filed by the guardian ad litem may be viewed by the parties or their counsel personally at the office of the Juvenile Clerk of Courts. Any written reports may be accessed only in person by the parties or their legal representatives. Copies of any written report shall be made available to counsel or to any party if not represented by counsel upon request.

WARNING

Confidential records must be maintained in the Court’s unofficial file.

All confidential records are maintained in the Court’s unofficial file.

WARNING

Counsel may orally communicate counsel-only material to their clients but may not give them copies of the records.

Counsel may orally communicate the content of the “counsel only” material to the parties they represent, but not provide those parties with copies of the records.

WARNING

A Guardian ad Litem must limit disclosures about the case and investigation to reports to the Court or disclosures necessary to perform the role, and must protect specified personal identifiers and safety-related addresses.

As an officer of the court, a Guardian ad Litem shall make no disclosures about the case or the investigation except in reports to the court or as necessary to perform the duties of a Guardian ad Litem. A Guardian ad Litem shall maintain the confidential nature of personal identifiers, as defined in Sup. R. 44, or addresses where there are allegations of domestic violence or risk to a party’s or child’s safety.

WARNING

After trial, a Guardian ad Litem may recommend restricting access to all or part of a report for privacy, confidentiality, or safety, and the Court may order conditional disclosure to permit a challenge to confidential-source information.

A Guardian ad Litem may recommend that the court restrict access to the report or a portion of the report, after trial, to preserve the privacy, confidentiality, or safety of the parties or the person for whom the Guardian ad Litem was appointed in accordance with Sup. R. 45. The court may, upon application, and under such conditions as may be necessary to protect the witnesses from potential harm, order disclosure of or access to the information that addresses the need to challenge the truth of the information received from the confidential source.

INFO

The Court may regulate when, where, and how a self-represented party accesses discoverable material, within the limits of the rule.

The Court may specifically regulate the time, place and manner of a pro se party’s access to any discoverable material, not to exceed the scope of this rule.

INFO

The court may receive and read the written report before a hearing or trial to conduct a settlement conference.

In accordance with Sup.R. 91.07(B), the court may receive and read the written report in advance of a hearing or trial for the purpose of conducting a settlement conference in the case.