Starkes v. United States
- Lorna Schofield
- 1:20-cv-00265
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Starkes v. United States, Judge Schofield granted Starkes’s motion to seal his reply and required a redacted public filing to protect personal health information.
Quentin Starkes, the United States, the attorneys and other individuals identified in the appendix, and members of the public seeking access to the filing. The unredacted reply remains unavailable to the public, while a redacted version must be publicly filed.
What happened
In Starkes v. United States, Quentin Starkes filed a motion to redact and seal an unredacted version of his reply supporting his request for relief under a federal law allowing certain convictions or sentences to be challenged.
The court ordered that the unredacted reply remain sealed. Starkes had to publicly file a redacted version by July 7, 2021, and only the parties and people identified in the appendix could access the sealed document.
Judge Lorna G. Schofield granted the motion because sealing was necessary to prevent unauthorized disclosure of Starkes’s personal information, including protected health information. She also directed the Clerk of Court to close the motion.
The detailed version
- Starkes v. United States · No. 1:20-cv-00265
- Lorna Schofield
- July 2, 2021
Background
On July 1, 2021, Petitioner Quentin Starkes moved to redact and file under seal an unredacted version of his reply memorandum supporting his motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. A filing under seal is kept from public access. The opinion states that the reply contained personal information, including protected health information.
Court’s Reasoning
The court recognized a common-law presumption that the public may access judicial documents, but explained that this right is not absolute. Courts must balance that presumption against competing interests in the circumstances of the particular case. The court determined that filing the reply in redacted form was necessary to prevent unauthorized dissemination of Starkes’s personal information.
Ruling
Judge Schofield granted Starkes’s motion to seal. The unredacted reply at Docket No. 34 will remain sealed, and Starkes was ordered to publicly file a redacted version by July 7, 2021. Only the parties and individuals identified in the attached appendix may access the sealed materials. The appendix identifies AUSA Alexandra Rothman as an attorney of record with access. The Clerk of Court was directed to close the motion at Docket No. 33.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.