Local Rule CR 55.1: Matters Held Under Seal

CR 55.1 Matters Held Under Seal

(a) Parties and Counsel. Parties aware of matters or items under seal must employ reasonable measures to control access to them. Counsel may not release a jury list or a transcript of voir dire to a defendant without a written order.

(b) Court Staff.

(1) Court staff must obtain a judge's approval to provide a party with copies of sealed charging documents, pretrial services reports, jury lists, voir dire transcripts containing jurors' names, presentence reports, statements of reasons, or documents submitted by the United States for in camera review.

(2) Court staff will not respond to inquiries about indictments unless the indictment is unsealed. Consequently, failure to respond to an inquiry about an indictment may mean an indictment is sealed or may mean no indictment exists.

(3) After sentencing, and subject to subsection (1), court staff may provide copies of sealed documents filed with respect to a particular defendant to that defendant.

(c) Sealed Proceedings. Delinquency proceedings against juveniles are confidential and must be conducted entirely under seal with electronic access provided only to court staff.

(d) Sealed Items. The following items must be filed in the electronic record under seal:

(1) grand jury matters, if filed in a case;

(2) pretrial services reports;

(3) petitions for summons or warrant, until the defendant appears on the petition;

(4) psychological or psychiatric reports;

(5) lists of prospective or seated jurors;

(6) transcripts of voir dire, if filed, unless jurors' names or other identifying information are not used;

(7) presentence reports; and

(8) the judge's statement of reasons for the sentence imposed.