Carzell et al v. Life of the South Insurance Company et al
Filing
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OPINION AND ORDER that Defendants Life of the South Insurance Company and Insurance Company of the South's Motion for Leave to File Opposition to Motion to Remand Exhibits Under Seal 11 is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion is GRAN TED to allow the redaction of social security numbers, birth dates, and the names of individuals known to be minors, except Defendants must leave un-redacted: the last four digits of the social security number, the year of the individual's birth, and the initials of the minor. Signed by Judge William S. Duffey, Jr on 10/19/2015. (anc)
following information regarding putative class members: social security numbers,
birthdates, first and last names, the date their social security number was issued,
age, citizenship status, and, for one putative class member, certain information
provided on the face of her social security card. Defendants seek to protect this
information. The Motion is unopposed.
Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides, in relevant
part, that filings including social security numbers, taxpayer-identification
numbers, birth dates, or the name of an individual known to be a minor may
include only:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
The last four digits of the social-security number and
taxpayer-identification number;
The year of the individual’s birth;
The minor’s initials; and
The last four digits of the financial-account number
Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2(a). The Federal Rules also allow the Court to require redaction
of additional information for good cause. Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2(e)(1). This Court’s
Standing Order 11 states:
It is not this Court’s practice to generally allow entire pleadings to be
sealed from public view but, instead, to allow the redaction of specific
portions of a pleading where a foundation has been laid for continued
protection. Counsel should use careful discretion in requesting
continued protection for the document, material or information at
issue. You should not generally file entire pleadings or documents
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under seal. Specifically request continued protection for only those
portions of a pleading or document that you believe should, and upon
which there is legal authority to, remain protected, e.g., bank account
numbers, scientific formulas, confidential pricing calculations.
Having considered Defendants’ motion in light of the Federal Rules and this
Court’s Standing Order, Defendants are instructed to file the Exhibits redacting
social security numbers, birth dates, and the names of individuals known to be
minors, except to leave un-redacted: the last four digits of the social security
number, the year of the individual’s birth, and the initials of the minor. The Court
will file under seal the un-redacted versions of the Exhibits, which have already
been provided to the Court.
For the foregoing reasons,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants Life of the South Insurance
Company and Insurance Company of the South’s Motion for Leave to File
Opposition to Motion to Remand Exhibits Under Seal [11] is GRANTED IN
PART and DENIED IN PART. The Motion is GRANTED to allow the
redaction of social security numbers, birth dates, and the names of individuals
known to be minors, except Defendants must leave un-redacted: the last four
digits of the social security number, the year of the individual’s birth, and the
initials of the minor.
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SO ORDERED this 19th day of October, 2015.
_______________________________
WILLIAM S. DUFFEY, JR.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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