Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea v. Tara Bafna-Louis
- P. Castel
- 1:22-cv-08303
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
Royal Borough v. Bafna-Louis: Judge Castel granted a request to seal Exhibit 18 containing a minor child’s sensitive text messages.
The ruling affects access to Petitioners’ Exhibit 18, which the filing says contains sensitive text messages involving CB-L, a minor child.
What happened
In Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea v. Tara Bafna-Louis, a filing asked the court to seal Petitioners’ Exhibit 18. The exhibit contained text messages to and from a minor child identified as CB-L.
The request argued that the messages were sensitive and that sealing would protect the child’s privacy and well-being. It cited decisions recognizing that private family matters may justify limiting public access to court documents.
Judge P. Kevin Castel granted the application on January 24, 2023. The opinion does not describe any additional ruling or explain the scope of the sealing beyond granting the application.
The detailed version
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea v. Tara Bafna-Louis · No. 1:22-cv-08303
- P. Castel
- Jan. 24, 2023
Background
Counsel submitted a letter requesting that the court seal Petitioners’ Exhibit 18. The letter stated that the exhibit contained text messages to and from CB-L, identified as a minor child, and described the messages as sensitive.
Request and reasoning
The request argued that sealing was warranted to protect the child’s privacy and well-being. It cited decisions explaining that access to judicial documents may be restricted when a party’s interest in preventing disclosure outweighs the public’s interest in access. It also cited the principle that family affairs are traditionally private rather than public.
Ruling
The court’s order states: “Application GRANTED.” Judge P. Kevin Castel dated the order January 24, 2023. The provided text does not state whether the exhibit was sealed in full or in part, or describe any other conditions on access.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.