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

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

The proponent of an exhibit containing policy-defined confidential information or documents must include a compliant confidential document form so the Records Office may seal the exhibit.

The Proponent of an exhibit containing confidential information or confidential documents, as defined in the Case Records Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, shall include a confidential document form, prepared in compliance with the Policy, so the exhibit may be sealed by the Records Office.

CRITICAL

Pre-sentence and related psychiatric or psychological reports are confidential and not public records; the sentencing judge and counsel for both parties may inspect them.

All pre-sentence reports and related psychiatric and psychological reports shall be confidential, and not of public record. They shall be available to the sentencing judge, and to: 1. The attorney for the Commonwealth and counsel for the defendant, for inspection only.

CRITICAL

After sentencing, specified correctional and probation or parole agencies may access the reports unless the judge orders otherwise, but the reports remain confidential and nonpublic.

After sentencing, unless the sentencing judge otherwise orders, and subject to the provisions of paragraph (B), psychiatric, psychological, and pre-sentence reports shall also be available to: 1. Correctional institutions housing the defendant; and 2. Departments of probation or parole supervising the defendant; and 3. Departments of probation or parole preparing a pre-sentence investigation report regarding the defendant. The reports shall continue to be confidential and not of public record.

CRITICAL

The specified court clerks must ensure that sealed exhibits remain confidential under the Case Records Access Policy.

The Prothonotary, Clerk of the Criminal Court or Clerk of the Orphans' Court shall ensure the confidentiality of such documents as defined in the Case Records Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.

WARNING

The sentencing judge may impose additional confidentiality conditions at any time on recipients of reports under paragraphs (C) or (D).

The sentencing judge may at any time impose further conditions of confidentiality on a person or agency receiving a report under paragraphs (C) or (D) of this rule.

WARNING

The sentencing judge may order a report disclosed to another person or agency with a legitimate professional interest in the case’s disposition.

On the order of the sentencing judge, a psychiatric, psychological, or pre-sentence investigation report may be made available to any other person or agency having a legitimate professional interest in the disposition of the case.

WARNING

For good cause and with the defendant’s and both counsel’s consent, the judge may place specific plea-agreement conditions on the record in camera and seal the record.

unless the judge orders, for good cause shown and with the consent of the defendant, counsel for the defendant, and attorney for the commonwealth, that specific conditions in the agreement be placed on the record in camera and the record be sealed.