Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Legal papers submitted with a Motion and Stipulation to Seal the Record must be filed in paper format until protocols permitting their electronic filing are adopted.

Until such time as necessary protocols are adopted to permit the electronic filing of these excluded legal papers, legal papers submitted contemporaneously with a Motion and Stipulation to Seal the Record must be filed in paper format so as to limit potential harm to any party and to protect the confidentiality of information as provided by law.

Family Court records are impounded and may not be inspected or disclosed except by a party, counsel of record, or order of the Administrative Judge of Family Court.

Family Court records, including, but not limited to Domestic Relations' matters, Juvenile records, Protection from Abuse records, Adoption records, and Divorce records, are impounded and are not subject to inspection except by a party to the action or counsel or record for the party whose records are to be inspected. These records may not be disclosed, unless otherwise provided by statute, or removed or inspected except by order of Administrative Judge of Family Court.

The parties' highest offer and lowest demand must be filed in a sealed envelope with the Deputy Court Administrator, which is not opened or transmitted to the arbitration judge until after the arbitration decision is reached.

The parties shall submit to the Deputy Court Administrator for Civil Listings, at the time the stipulation is submitted in a sealed envelope, the defendant’s(s’) highest offer and the plaintiff’s(s’) lowest demand. These figures shall be submitted on one piece of paper signed by all parties. The sealed envelope shall be retained by the Deputy Court Administrator for Civil Listings, not transmitted to the Arbitration Judge, until after the arbitration is completed and the Arbitration Judge has reached his decision.

Filings containing Section 7 confidential information must include both redacted and unredacted versions.

(a) When a filing (including exhibits) contains any of the confidential information listed in Section 7 of the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Courts ("UJS Case Records Policy"), the filer shall file a Redacted Version and an Unredacted Version of the filing as provided in Phila.R.J.A. No. *401.

Confidential documents covered by UJS Case Records Policy Section 8.0 A must be filed with a Confidential Document Form.

(b) The confidential documents listed in Section 8.0 A of the use of U.C. Case Records Policy, shall be filed with a Confidential Document Form as provided in Rules.*401.

All hearing evidence in the guardianship matter is sealed and unavailable except upon further court decree.

All evidence received at the hearing concerning the present matter, including but not limited to medical depositions, expert reports, testimony and exhibits, shall be SEALED and not made available except upon further Decree of this Court.

Confidential information must be filed on a Confidential Information Form, not in legal papers.

(f) Confidential information. Ex parte filing of legal papers. Filing legal papers under seal. (1) Counsel and unrepresented parties must refrain from including confidential information in legal papers filed with the clerk of courts or the court regardless of whether the legal paper is filed electronically or in a paper format. Counsel and unrepresented parties must include confidential information relevant to the case on a court-approved Confidential Information Form. The Confidential Information Form shall be served on and made available to the parties to the case, the court and appropriate court staff, as provided by law.

Ex parte and sealed filings continue to be filed in paper format.

(2) Legal papers which, according to law, may be filed ex parte or under seal shall continue to be filed in a paper format as provided in subsection (a)(2).

IGJ materials disclosed to the defense may be redacted to remove witness personal identifying information such as address, telephone, SSN, work details, or relatives of a witness.

Once such materials have been disclosed to the defense, the grand jury materials may be redacted to not include the address, telephone number, social security number, work information or closest relative information of any witnesses identified in the materials.

The attorney may review grand jury material with the defendant before trial, but the defendant is not permitted to retain a copy.

Your attorney will also review the grand jury material with you prior to trial but you will not be permitted to retain a copy of the grand jury material.

Records of Mental Health Procedures Act proceedings must be made, impounded by the Court, and kept by the Office of Judicial Records for at least one year.

Record of the proceedings (which need not be in a stenographic format) held pursuant to the Mental Health Procedures Act shall be made, impounded by the Court as provided in the Act, and kept by the Office of Judicial Records for at least one year.

Clerk is not required to redact filings but may reject papers violating confidentiality rules.

(h)(1) Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the clerk of courts shall not be required to redact any pleading filed electronically or in a hard-copy format. However, if the legal paper is submitted for filing in violation of subsection (f) of this rule, the clerk of courts may reject it or refuse to accept it for filing.