Klein v. Aicher
- Ronnie Abrams
- 1:19-cv-09172
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Klein v. Aicher, Judge Ronnie Abrams granted Klein’s request to seal a declaration containing private medical information and ordered a redacted version filed.
Refael Klein, Stacey R. B. Aicher, their counsel, and court staff are affected by the sealing order; Klein must file a redacted declaration.
What happened
In Klein v. Aicher, Refael Klein asked the court to seal his declaration because it discussed confidential medical information. The declaration concerned Stacey R. B. Aicher’s request for payment of sanctions and attorney’s fees.
The court granted the request. It directed the Clerk of Court to seal the declaration, docket entry 94, so that it would be accessible only to the parties, their lawyers, and court staff.
Judge Ronnie Abrams also ordered Klein to file the attached redacted version by November 9, 2020. The order addressed the declaration’s privacy, not the underlying dispute or the sanctions amount.
The detailed version
- Klein v. Aicher · No. 1:19-cv-09172
- Ronnie Abrams
- Nov. 6, 2020
Background
The plaintiff, Refael Klein, asked the court to seal his declaration, docket entry 94, and to allow him to file a redacted version. The request stated that the declaration included confidential medical information. The declaration was submitted in opposition to defendant Stacey R. B. Aicher’s motion for contempt, to compel payment of a sanctions award, and for additional sanctions.
The declaration states that the court had previously dismissed the action for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction and had awarded Aicher $74,160 in attorney’s fees and costs. Those matters are background to the sealing request; the order excerpt provided does not decide the motion for contempt, compel payment, or impose additional sanctions.
Court’s reasoning
The court recognized that Klein’s declaration contained information about his medical conditions that he wished to keep private. It referred to the routine use of protective orders for medical records and concluded that the request to seal should be granted.
Ruling
The court granted the sealing request. It directed the Clerk of Court to seal docket entry 94, making it visible only to the parties, their counsel, and court staff. The court also directed Klein to file the attached redacted version no later than November 9, 2020. Judge Ronnie Abrams did not, in this order, rule on the underlying sanctions dispute or on the request for contempt.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.