Rule 79-1 Sealing of Records

If a judge decides a case is sensitive, the entire court file gets sealed. This means all the documents filed in the case are locked up and kept secure by the court staff. The public can't just walk in and look through these records like they could with a normal case.

Even though the file is sealed, the court still keeps a basic record showing the case exists. The clerk's office keeps track of the case number so people can find a reference to it if needed. However, the actual details and documents inside the file stay protected and are not open for public viewing.

This rule matters because it affects how much privacy you get in certain types of cases. If your case is marked sensitive, your personal information and case details won't be available to the general public. But it also means less transparency, since outside parties can't easily review what's happening in the case.