Court of Common Pleas of Carbon County, Pennsylvania Sealing & Redaction Procedures

CRITICALCivil cases

The Prothonotary’s Office must enter confidential information in the Court Computer Database, shred the form after verifying entry, and restrict access to internal personnel rather than public access programs.

The Prothonotary's Office shall record the Confidential Information in the Court Computer Database and, upon verification of proper entry, shall shred the form containing the Confidential Information. This information shall remain confidential in that it will only be visible to internal personnel and cannot be accessed through the public access programs.

CRITICAL

A minor’s name and date of birth are confidential, except when the minor is charged as a defendant in a criminal matter.

5. Minors’ names and dates of birth except when a minor is charged as a defendant in a criminal matter (see 42 Pa.C.S. § 6355). “Minor” is a person under the age of eighteen.

CRITICAL

Do not include confidential information in any other document filed under the docket.

Do not include confidential information in any other document filed with the court under this docket.

CRITICALCivil cases

Filed documents must limit Social Security, driver’s license or vehicle identification, and financial account numbers to the last four digits, birth dates to the year, and minor children’s names to initials.

Any documents presented for filing referring to social security numbers, driver's license/vehicle identification numbers, and any financial account numbers shall list only the last four digits. Birth dates shall be limited to the year of birth only. When reference is made to a minor child (i.e., individuals less than 18 years of age), the names shall not be given, only their initials.

CRITICAL

The Confidential Information Form and any additional pages must remain confidential, but are available to the parties, counsel of record, the court, and the custodian.

This form, and any additional pages, shall remain confidential, except that it shall be available to the parties, counsel of record, the court, and the custodian.

CRITICAL

The addendum and any additional pages may be provided only to the court and must remain confidential.

This addendum, and any additional pages, shall only be provided to the court and shall remain confidential.

CRITICAL

In family court actions, an abuse victim’s address and other contact information must be kept confidential, except for the victim’s name; if necessary, the information must be provided on a separate Abuse Victim Addendum.

6. Abuse victim’s address and other contact information, including employer’s name, address and work schedule, in family court actions as defined by Pa.R.Civ.P. 1931(a), except for victim's name. “Abuse Victim” is a person for whom a protection order has been granted by a court pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 1901 et seq. and 23 Pa.C.S. § 6101 et seq. or Pa.R.Civ.P. 1951 et seq. and 42 Pa.C.S § 62A01 et seq. If necessary, this information must be provided on the separate Abuse Victim Addendum. Please note there are separate instructions for the completion of the Addendum located on the form.

CRITICALCivil cases

The Prothonotary’s Office must enter Social Security Numbers in the Court Computer Database, shred the form after verifying entry, and restrict access to internal personnel.

a. The Prothonotary's Office shall record the Social Security Numbers in the Court Computer Database and, upon verification of proper entry, shall shred the form containing the Social Security Numbers. The Social Security Numbers shall remain confidential in that they will only be visible to internal personnel and cannot be accessed through the public access programs.

CRITICAL

Confidential information must not be included in a court filing except on a Confidential Information Form filed at the same time.

The following information is confidential and shall not be included in any document filed with a court or custodian, except on a Confidential Information Form filed contemporaneously with the document:

CRITICAL

Provide confidential information to the court only when required by law, ordered by the court, or otherwise necessary to resolve the matter.

Therefore, only provide confidential information to the court when it is required by law, ordered by the court or is otherwise necessary to effect the disposition of a matter.

CRITICAL

Exhibits sealed by the Court during a proceeding must not be accessible to the public.

Exhibits sealed by the Court during the Court proceeding shall not be accessible by the public.

CRITICAL

Unless the Presiding Judge directs otherwise, the court reporter must redact the listed personal data identifiers from the original transcript filed in an office using redaction software, but not from transcripts provided to the Court or parties.

A. Unless otherwise directed by the Presiding Judge, the court reporter preparing the transcript shall redact from the original transcript filed in the appropriate filing office those personal data identifiers for which redaction software has been obtained and is being utilized in such filing office, but these identifiers shall not be redacted on transcripts that are provided to the Court and to the parties. Currently, the software being utilized by the Prothonotary’s Office redacts the following personal data identifiers: 1. Social Security Numbers, all but the last four digits; 2. Driver's License Number, all but the last four digits; 3. Vehicle Identification Numbers, all but the last four digits; 4. Financial institutions account numbers, all but the last four digits; 5. Dates of Birth, except year; 6. Names of minor children, except for the first initial of the first and last names.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Counsel and unrepresented parties must follow Pennsylvania's Public Access Policy and refrain from including confidential information in legal papers filed electronically or on paper.

Counsel and unrepresented parties must adhere to the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania and refrain from including confidential information in legal papers filed with the Clerk of Courts or the Court whether filed electronically or in a paper format.

CRITICAL

For confidential exhibits, the proponent must submit a proposed order seeking sealing or continued confidentiality when appropriate.

shall serve a copy on the presiding judge with a proposed order to have the document sealed or information therein kept confidential, if appropriate

CRITICAL

Confidential information must be kept out of filed documents except when submitted on a Confidential Information Form filed at the same time.

Information that is confidential as defined by the Public Access Policy shall not be included in any document filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Carbon County, except on a Confidential Information Form filed contemporaneously with the document.

CRITICAL

Confidential, sealed, or access-restricted admitted exhibits must be maintained with the official Court record in the appropriate filing office, except for the previously identified exhibits.

With respect to those files whose contents are required to be kept confidential, as well as any other matters where the files have been sealed or access to the files has been restricted, exhibits admitted into evidence as part of the Court record shall be maintained with the official Court record in the appropriate filing office, excluding those exhibits identified in the preceding sentence.

WARNING

The Confidential Information Form need not be filed in cases sealed or exempted from public access by applicable authority.

Please note this form does not need to be filed in types of cases that are sealed or exempted from public access pursuant to applicable authority (e.g. juvenile, adoption, etc.).

WARNINGCivil cases

NOTICE: This attachment will be withheld from public inspection in accordance with 23 Pa. C.S.A. § 6108 (a)(7)(v).

NOTICE: This attachment will be withheld from public inspection in accordance with 23 Pa. C.S.A. § 6108 (a)(7)(v).

WARNINGCivil cases

Parties and their attorneys alone are responsible for complying with the personal-information restrictions; court staff will not review public filings for compliance, and noncompliance does not affect otherwise available access to case records.

The parties and their attorneys are solely responsible for complying with the provisions of number 10 above. The court staff is not responsible for reviewing any document filed as a public record for compliance with number 10 above. A party's or attorney's failure to comply with the provisions shall not affect access to case records that are otherwise accessible.

WARNING

For a noncompliant filing, a court may order sealing, redaction, or amendment, and a court of record may impose sanctions including compliance-preparation costs.

If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of the above referenced policy, a court of record may, upon motion or its own initiative, with or without a hearing, order the filed document sealed, redacted, amended or any combination thereof; a magisterial district court may, upon request or its own initiative, redact, amend or both. A court of record may impose sanctions, including costs necessary to prepare a compliant document for filing in accordance with applicable authority.

WARNING

Provide confidential information to the court only when required by law, ordered by the court, or otherwise necessary to resolve the matter.

The best way to protect confidential information is not to provide it to the court. Therefore, only provide confidential information to the court when it is required by law, ordered by the court or is otherwise necessary to effect the disposition of a matter.

WARNING

An active financial account number may be identified by its last four digits only when the account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be identified.

2. Financial Account Numbers, except an active financial account number may be identified by the last four digits when the financial account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be identified. “Financial Account Numbers” include financial institution account numbers, debit and credit card numbers, and methods of authentication used to secure accounts such as personal identification numbers, user names and passwords.