Rule 16.4 Protective orders and conditions of discovery.

If a judge decides there's a good reason to limit how much information gets shared between the two sides in a criminal case, the judge can step in and restrict, delay, or block certain discovery. This means the judge can decide that some evidence or information doesn't have to be handed over right away, or at all, if there's a valid reason for it.

To ask for this kind of protection, a party (usually the prosecutor) can explain their reasons to the judge privately in writing instead of arguing it out in open court. This keeps sensitive information from being exposed to the other side while the judge decides whether limits are needed. If the judge agrees to grant this protection, that written explanation gets sealed and kept safe in the court's records. That way, if someone appeals the case later, the higher court can look back and review why the judge made that decision.

Finally, if either side wants to formally request discovery in writing, they have to file a copy of that request with the court. This keeps an official record of what was asked for and when, so there's a clear paper trail throughout the case.