Wood County Court of Common Pleas, General Division Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

A motion to seal must be electronically filed with a proposed sealing order, but the documents to be sealed may not be attached because the motion is publicly accessible.

Motions requesting that documents be filed under seal shall be e-filed and include a proposed order for sealing the records. The motion will be publically accessible, so the documents sought to be sealed shall not be attached to the motion requesting sealing.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Every motion requesting sealing must request denial of both direct and remote public access to the documents sought to be sealed.

All motions requesting sealing shall request that there be no direct or remote public access to the documents sought to be sealed.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

After sealing is granted, the documents must be e-filed and accessible through the e-filing system only to the Court and Clerk.

Once the court has granted a motion to seal, the sealed documents shall be e-filed. Only the Court and the Clerk shall have access to the sealed document through the e-filing system.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

The motion, proceeding transcript, defendant-submitted evidence, and court orders must be sealed and held by the court.

3. The motion, the transcript of the proceedings, evidence submitted by the defendant, and the orders of the court shall be sealed and held by the court.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

The personal identifier sheet accompanying the pleadings is excluded from the public record.

the personal identifier sheet will not be part of the public record.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Personal identifying information must be redacted from all exhibits, except where necessary to identify a specific account or exhibit.

All exhibits shall have personal identifying information redacted, except to allow identification of a specific account or exhibit.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Social security numbers and other information that must be excluded from the public record must be redacted under the court’s rules and the Rules of Superintendence.

All social security numbers and other information that must be excluded from public record shall be redacted in accordance with the rules of this court and the Rules of Superintendence.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026CRITICAL

Social Security numbers and other information that must remain outside the public record must be redacted under the court's and Supreme Court of Ohio's rules.

D. All social security numbers and other information that must be excluded from public record shall be redacted in accordance with the rules of this court and the Rules of Superintendence.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026WARNING

When the judge deems it advisable, prospective-juror lists may identify jurors only by number, with other identifying data withheld and sealed.

To preserve the privacy and confidentiality of prospective jurors, when deemed advisable by the judge, lists of potential jurors submitted to counsel may be identified only by number, and other identifying data may be withheld and sealed.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 5, 2026WARNING

A party may request that their current address and the children's addresses not be disclosed and placed under seal to protect the health, safety, or liberty of the party or children.

I request that the court not disclose my current address or that of the child(ren). My address is confidential pursuant to R.C. 3127.23(D) and should be placed under seal to protect the health, safety, or liberty of myself and/or the child(ren).

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

Counsel for the defendant or the defendant will file the motion under seal directly with the court.

Summary: A defendant's ex parte motion for funding must be filed directly with the court under seal.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

The court’s decision is under seal and will be provided to defendant and defendant’s counsel only.

Summary: The decision on an ex parte funding motion is sealed and provided only to the defendant and defense counsel.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Criminal cases

The motion, the transcript of the proceedings, evidence submitted by the defendant, and the orders of the court shall be sealed and held by the court.

Summary: The court must seal and retain the ex parte funding motion, proceeding transcript, defendant-submitted evidence, and court orders.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The user filing a document is required to redact personal identifiers, as defined in Sup.R. 44, from the document prior to submitting it to the e-filing system. The user must complete the e-filing system’s questionnaire regarding personal identifiers before the document will be accepted for filing by the clerk.

Summary: A filer must remove personal identifiers and complete the system’s personal-identifier questionnaire before the clerk will accept an e-filed document.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Motions requesting that documents be filed under seal shall be e-filed and include a proposed order for sealing the records. The motion will be publically accessible, so the documents sought to be sealed shall not be attached to the motion requesting sealing.

Summary: A sealing motion must be e-filed with a proposed sealing order and may not attach the documents it seeks to seal because the motion is public.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

All motions requesting sealing shall request that there be no direct or remote public access to the documents sought to be sealed.

Summary: A motion to seal must request that the documents have no direct or remote public access.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Once the court has granted a motion to seal, the sealed documents shall be e-filed. Only the court and the Clerk shall have access to the sealed document through the e-filing system.

Summary: After sealing is granted, the documents are e-filed and only the court and clerk may access them through the system.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The transcript of the interview shall be sealed and preserved for appellate review and neither party shall be permitted to obtain a copy.

Summary: A child-interview transcript must be sealed, preserved for appellate review, and not provided to either party.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The user filing a document is required to redact personal identifiers, as defined in Sup.R. 44, from the document prior to submitting it to the e-filing system. The user must complete the e-filing system’s questionnaire regarding personal identifiers before the document will be accepted for filing by the clerk.

Summary: A filer must redact statutory personal identifiers before e-filing and complete the e-filing system's personal-identifier questionnaire before the clerk will accept the filing.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

Counsel for the defendant or the defendant will file the motion under seal directly with the court. The court shall then note the date and time of the filing of the motion and keep a separate ex parte proceedings file. The court will determine at the end of the proceedings whether to enter the ex parte file into the record of this case for appellate review, either under seal or otherwise.

Summary: A defendant or defense counsel must file an ex parte funding motion under seal directly with the court, after which the court records the filing date and time and maintains a separate ex parte file for later appellate-record determination.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

All schedules will be filed in a confidential file as required by Sup.R. 44.

Summary: All financial-disclosure schedules must be placed in a confidential file.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

This application shall be filed in a confidential file as required by Sup.R. 44.

Summary: The Title IV-D benefits application must be filed in a confidential file.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The transcript of the interview shall be sealed and preserved for appellate review and neither party shall be permitted to obtain a copy.

Summary: The transcript of an in-camera child interview must be sealed and preserved for appellate review, and neither party may obtain a copy.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

When submitting a case document to a court or filing a case document with a clerk of court, a party to a judicial action or proceeding shall omit personal identifiers from the document.

Summary: A party must omit personal identifiers from every case document submitted to the court or filed with the clerk.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.CRITICAL?

The packet submitted to the judge is not a public record and shall not be made part of the clerk’s file

Summary: The probation department's CQE information packet is nonpublic and must not be added to the clerk's case file.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.WARNING?

Criminal cases

The court will determine at the end of the proceedings whether to enter the ex parte file into the record of this case for appellate review, either under seal or otherwise.

Summary: After the ex parte funding proceeding, the court will decide whether to place the separate file in the appellate record, either under seal or otherwise.