Local Rule RULE 5.1: SERVING AND FILING PLEADINGS AND OTHER PAPERS

RULE 5.1 SERVING AND FILING PLEADINGS AND OTHER PAPERS (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.1, 5.2, 7.1, 11; Fed. R. Crim. P. 49, 49.1)

(a) General Format of Paper Originals Presented for Filing. All pleadings, motions, documents, and other paper originals presented for filing by a party proceeding pro se (who has not been authorized by the Court to use the CM/ECF system) shall be on 8 ½" x 11" white paper of good quality, flat and unfolded, and shall be plainly typewritten, printed, or prepared by a clearly legible duplication process and double-spaced, except for quoted material. Each page shall be numbered consecutively. This Rule does not apply to (a) exhibits submitted for filing and (b) documents filed in removed actions prior to removal from state court.

(b) Electronic Filing

(1) Represented Parties: All parties represented by counsel must file documents by electronic means that comply with procedures established by the Court unless specifically exempted for good cause shown. See Electronic Case Filing Rule 1.

(2) Pro Se Parties: Pro se parties may register as a Pro Se Filing User in CM/ECF, but they must file a motion for permission to receive Court authorization to file electronically through CM/ECF. Pro Se Filing User privileges are case specific; pro se filers must seek prior Court approval in each unique case filed. For more information regarding pro se filings via the CM/ECF system, see Electronic Case Filing Rules 1 and 2 and the Court's Pro Se Litigant Guide available on the Court's website.

(3) Filing a document electronically does not alter the filing deadline for that document. Filing must be completed before midnight (Central Time) to be considered timely filed that day unless a specific time is set by the Court.

(c) Privacy Policy

(1) To promote electronic access to case files while also protecting personal privacy and other legitimate interests, parties shall refrain from including, or shall redact where inclusion is necessary, personal identifiers from all pleadings filed with the Clerk of Court, which includes exhibits attached thereto, unless otherwise ordered, in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 or Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1.

(2) The responsibility for redacting personal identifiers rests solely with counsel and the parties. The Clerk of Court will not review each pleading for compliance. Counsel and the parties are cautioned that failure to redact these personal identifiers may subject them to discipline.

(3) In compliance with the E-Government Act of 2002, a party wishing to file a document containing personal data identifiers must file a redacted version in the public file (file electronically for CM/ECF cases or manually for non-CM/ECF cases). In addition to the public filing, a party may, but is not required to, file any personal data identifiers through either (a) a reference list under seal or (b) an unredacted version of the document under seal.

When a party finds it necessary to file the unredacted information under seal, the Court prefers a reference list to the filing of a complete document. The reference list shall contain the complete personal identifier(s) and the redacted identifier(s) used in its (their) place in the filing. All references in the case to the redacted identifiers included in the reference list will be construed to refer to the corresponding complete personal data identifier. The reference list must be filed under seal and may be amended as of right. Parties are responsible for maintaining possession of original, unredacted documents and information redacted from publicly filed documents. Upon request, counsel may be required to furnish the unredacted information.

(4) As required by Seventh Circuit Operating Procedure 10, except to the extent portions of the record are required to be sealed by statute (e.g., 18 U.S.C. § 3509(d)) or a rule of procedure (e.g., Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e), Circuit Rule 26.1(b)), every document filed in the appellate court is in the public record, regardless of whether the same document was sealed in this Court. Documents sealed in this Court will be maintained under seal in the appellate court for 14 days, to afford time for a party to request approval under Circuit Procedure 10(a).