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

CRITICAL

Questionnaire copies may not be duplicated, distributed, or published.

Copies shall not be duplicated, distributed or published.

CRITICAL

Defendants may not be given questionnaire copies unless they are unrepresented by counsel at trial.

Defendants shall not be furnished copies of the questionnaires unless they are unrepresented by counsel at trial.

CRITICAL

Original questionnaires for impaneled jurors must be kept in a sealed file by the Jury Commissioners and destroyed one year after the trial session, unless the court orders otherwise.

All original questionnaires of all impaneled jurors shall be retained by the Jury Commissioners in a sealed file and shall be destroyed (1) year after the trial session in which they were selected, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

CRITICAL

Questionnaire copies may be made available only to judges, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and defendants’ attorneys.

Complete and accurate copies of the original questionnaires (“copies”) shall be collated into numbered binders, which shall be available only to judges, attorneys for the Commonwealth and defendants’ attorneys.

CRITICAL

Copies may not be removed from a courtroom-designated area unless the court first orders removal for good cause shown.

Copies shall not be removed from the designated area except upon prior court order for good cause shown. The designated area shall be any courtroom.

CRITICAL

Copies of juror information questionnaires are not public records.

Copies shall not constitute public records.

CRITICAL

Juror information questionnaires must be kept securely in the Jury Commissioners’ office and are not public records.

Confidential Juror Information Questionnaires (“questionnaires”) will be maintained securely in the office of the Jury Commissioners. The juror questionnaires shall not constitute a public record.

WARNING

Attorneys and judges may examine copies before jury selection by arranging with the designated custodian; the Court Administrator is the custodian, and copies must be obtained from and returned to that office.

Attorneys and judges may examine copies prior to jury selection by making arrangements with the designated custodian. The Court Administrator shall be the official custodian. Copies shall be made available from and returned to the office of the Court Administrator.

WARNING

Mediation discussions and communications must remain confidential and may not be disclosed or used, unless all parties and the mediator stipulate otherwise in writing, disclosure is required by law, or the court orders otherwise.

Unless stipulated in writing by all parties and the mediator or except as required by law or otherwise ordered by the court, all discussions which occur during mediation shall remain strictly confidential and no communication at any mediation session (including, without limitation, any verbal, nonverbal or written communication which refers to or relates to mediation of the pending litigation) shall be disclosed to any person not involved in the mediation process, and no aspect of the mediation session shall be used by anyone for any reason.

WARNING

The Confidential Position Paper must remain outside the court record and be destroyed when mediation concludes.

The Confidential position paper shall not become a part of the court record and shall be destroyed at the conclusion of the mediation.