Doe v. Anonymous

Background

Jane Doe, proceeding as a Jane Doe party, filed an emergency motion for a sealing order. She said she wanted to file a 50-page petition containing documents she considered Highly Sensitive Documents under the Southern District of New York’s June 6, 2025 order. The Clerk opened the motion as a new civil action, No. 25-CV-8648.

Court’s Ruling

The court denied the emergency sealing motion without prejudice to Jane Doe’s filing, within 30 days of the order, a petition that does not include the documents she claims are Highly Sensitive Documents. The court directed that, if she intends to proceed anonymously, she must submit a motion to proceed anonymously and two petitions: one using her real name and one using her anonymous name.

The court also stated that Jane Doe must submit the $405 filing fees if she intends to pay them, or an application requesting a waiver if she cannot afford them. If she later seeks to submit Highly Sensitive Documents, she must follow the June 6, 2025 Standing Order by submitting the request and proposed materials to the Clerk’s Office in a sealed envelope marked “HIGHLY SENSITIVE DOCUMENT,” with a redacted copy of the documents’ caption page attached to the outside.

If Jane Doe does not file a petition or otherwise respond within 30 days, the court will direct the Clerk to close the action. The court directed the Clerk to email the order to Jane Doe and explained that she must provide either a physical or email address for receiving court orders.

Appeal and Disposition

Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith. The court therefore denied fee-free status for purposes of an appeal. The order did not decide the merits of any underlying petition.