Findley v. Barr
- George Daniels
- 1:20-cv-09548
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Findley v. Barr, Magistrate Judge Figueredo directed parties seeking to keep filings sealed to justify that request by October 23, 2024.
The parties seeking to keep the identified docket filings under seal, and members of the public seeking access to those judicial documents.
What happened
In Findley v. Barr, numerous documents had been filed under seal without a motion explaining why secrecy was necessary. The court noted that the public generally has a right to access court documents.
The court said that any party wishing to keep those documents sealed must file a letter motion explaining the legal basis for sealing by October 23, 2024. The court also stated that many documents did not appear to contain confidential, sensitive, or proprietary information typically supporting a sealing request.
Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo issued the order on October 2, 2024. The order required justification for continued sealing but did not decide the underlying claims in the case.
The detailed version
- Findley v. Barr · No. 1:20-cv-09548
- George Daniels
- Oct. 2, 2024
Background
The docket contained numerous documents filed under seal without an accompanying motion making the required showing for sealing. The order listed the affected docket entries as ECF Nos. 1–3, 6, 8–10, 12–13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25–26, 28, 30–31, 33, 35, 38–40, 42, 44, 45, 47–49, 51, 53, 55–56, 59, and 62.
Legal standard
The court explained that judicial documents are subject to a common-law right of public access. Under Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, a party seeking to file a document with redactions or under seal must make the required showing for sealing. After reviewing the documents, the court stated that many did not appear to contain confidential, sensitive, or proprietary information for which sealing is typically sought and granted.
Order
The court directed that any party wishing to maintain any of the identified documents under seal must submit a letter motion by Wednesday, October 23, 2024, setting out the basis for sealing. The order addressed access to court filings and did not decide the merits of the underlying dispute.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.