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

CRITICAL

If an applicant for a name change or name conformity desires the proceeding and the record to be confidential, the applicant must file a request for confidentiality supported by an

If an applicant for a name change or name conformity desires the proceeding and the record to be confidential, the applicant must file a request for confidentiality supported by an

CRITICAL

The court security plan must not be treated as a public record.

The plan shall not be a public record.

CRITICAL

The entire Security Plan must be maintained as confidential and not as a matter of public record.

Pursuant to a Supreme Court of Ohio resolution dated July 26, 1995, the Seneca County Probate Court has determined the entire Security Plan as submitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio, effective June 26, 1995, be maintained as confidential and not a matter of public record.

CRITICAL

An in-camera interview record or transcript must be sealed and may be opened only by the Court or court order; child’s counsel may access the transcript only upon written motion and a signed judgment entry, while parents may not access the report.

The record or transcript of any in-camera interview shall be sealed, to be opened only by the Court or upon order of the Court. Only Counsel for the child may have access to the transcript of the child’s interview and only and then only upon written motion and judgment entry signed by the Court. The parents shall have no access to the report of the interview, even if the record has been transcribed for purposes of the appeal or objections.

CRITICAL

Information describing the type or level of security in a court building that is contained in a court security review must not be treated as a public record.

For purposes of ensuring security in court facilities, information describing the type or level of security in a building in which court is conducted and that is contained in a court security review conducted by a local court or the Supreme Court shall not be a public record.

CRITICAL

Social security numbers on marriage applications and estate tax returns are kept as confidential, non-public records.

Social security numbers disclosed on marriage applications and estate tax returns are sequestered as confidential non-public records.

CRITICAL

If the Court grants the request, it will waive notice and permanently seal the file.

If the Court grants the applicant’s request, the Court will waive notice and permanently seal the file.

CRITICAL

Documents may contain only the last four digits of the parties' Social Security numbers, while the stated rule also permits the date of birth of any minor child.

All documents shall only contain the last four digits of the Social Security number of the parties and the date of birth of any minor child(ren).

CRITICAL

A party receiving a written report may not reproduce or distribute it, or any part of it, without the Court’s permission.

No party receiving a copy of the written report may reproduce, copy, share, or distribute the report, or any part, excerpt, or image from it, by any means without the permission of the Court.

CRITICAL

Records excluded from public inspection under applicable law must not be released to the general public.

Certain records kept by this Court are excluded from public inspection by applicable provisions of the Ohio Revised Code, and the Rules of Superintendence, for the Courts of Ohio, if applicable, (and any amendments thereto), and shall not be released to the general public.

CRITICAL

Before eFiling a document containing Social Security or taxpayer-identification numbers or financial account numbers, the eFiler must redact them; including personal identifiers or private information may cause rejection.

It is, however, the eFiler’s responsibility to redact Social Security or taxpayer- identification numbers and financial account numbers prior to eFiling any documents containing such information. The inclusion of personal identifiers and/or private information may be cause for rejection of the filing.

CRITICAL

Foster or kinship caregiver identity and contact information provided for notice purposes is not accessible to the public or any party and must be maintained in the Court’s family file.

Information regarding the identity of and contact information for foster or kinship Caregivers provided to assist the Court in fulfilling its duty to give notice under this rule is not accessible to the public, including to any party to a case. The Court shall maintain this information in its family file.

CRITICAL

The filing party must omit personal identifiers from submitted case documents; the Court need not check for their omission and will not refuse a filing solely on that basis.

Superintendence Rule 45 (D) provides that when submitting a case document to the Court, the filing party shall omit personal identifiers from the document. Additionally, the responsibility for omitting personal identifiers from a document submitted to the Court rests solely with the filing party. The Court is not required to review the document to confirm omission of personal identifiers and shall not refuse to accept or file the document on that basis.

CRITICAL

Complete Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and employer or employee identification numbers must be omitted before submission or filing.

Please do not provide complete Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or employer and/or employee identification numbers, since they are also considered personal identifiers which must be omitted prior to submission or filing.

CRITICAL

Public filings may disclose only the last four digits of financial account numbers, and the filer must redact the remaining digits.

B. All financial account numbers in any public record document filed in this court shall disclose only the last four digits of the account number. It is the responsibility of the person filing the document to redact the remaining digits of the account number.

CRITICAL

Records of cases adjudicated delinquent for aggravated murder, murder, or rape may not be sealed.

(E) Cases adjudicated delinquent for committing Aggravated Murder, Murder, and Rape, shall not be sealed as outlined in Section 2151.356(A).

CRITICAL

When permitted by Ohio law, exempt portions of a partially public record must be redacted, the remainder released, and each redaction explained.

If portions of a record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions are to be redacted and the remainder released, if permitted by Ohio law. If there are redactions, each redaction must be accompanied by a supporting explanation.

CRITICAL

The applicant must black out Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and driver’s license issuance and expiration dates on all submitted documents.

The applicant must redact (black out) social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and driver’s license issuance and expiration dates on all documents submitted to protect the privacy and confidential information of the applicant or minor.

CRITICAL

Records from the listed proceedings and other records confidential by statute may be accessed only as authorized by the Judge.

(C) Adoption, mental illness, and mental retardation proceedings are confidential. Records of those proceedings, and other records that are confidential by statute, may be accessed as authorized by the Judge.

CRITICAL

Public filings must not disclose full social security numbers, and the filer must redact them before filing.

A. Social security numbers are confidential and the full social security number shall not be filed in any filing in this court that is available for inspection by the general public. It is the responsibility of the person filing the public record document to comply with this rule and to redact the public record document before filing to conform to this rule.

WARNING

An eFiled document is not a public record before Clerk acceptance and remains confidential afterward when confidentiality is provided by rule or law.

Documents submitted for eFiling shall not be considered a public record until accepted by the Clerk and shall remain confidential at all times thereafter if so entitled under rule or law.

WARNING

An e-filed document is not a public record before Clerk acceptance and remains confidential afterward if entitled to confidentiality under rule or law.

Documents submitted for eFiling shall not be considered a public record until accepted by the Clerk and shall remain confidential at all times thereafter if so entitled under rule or law.

WARNING

If the prosecuting attorney objects to expungement, the Court must hold a hearing before expunging the records.

If the prosecuting attorney files a response that objects to the expungement of the records, the Court must conduct a hearing before the records may be expunged, as defined in Section 2151.358 of the Ohio Revised Code.

WARNING

The Court must expunge sealed records by the earlier of five years after sealing or when the juvenile reaches age 23.

(C) The Court must expunge all sealed records either five years from sealing or upon the juvenile reaching age 23, whichever comes first.

WARNING

After trial, a Guardian Ad Litem may file a written request to restrict public access to all or part of the report to protect privacy, confidentiality, or safety.

A Guardian Ad Litem may file a written request to restrict public access to the Guardian Ad Litem 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 Rule 45 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio.

INFO

An application may be made for earlier expungement after a record has been sealed.

After the record has been sealed, application may be made for earlier expungement.

INFO

In most cases, an application may be made to the Seneca County Juvenile Court to seal or expunge a juvenile record.

(A) In most cases, application may be made to the Seneca County Juvenile Court for an Order to seal a juvenile record, or to expunge the record under Section 2151.358 of the Ohio Revised Code.