Head v. Disttech, Inc et al

Filing 109

ORDER granting Plaintiff's 108 Unopposed Motion To Redact Certain Information From Pleadings Re: Minor Settlement; and Order to File Under Seal. Counsel for the parties and the court-appointed GALs may file pleadings with the settlement amount and the proposed disbursement amounts redacted, and are ORDERED to file sealed versions. Signed by Judge Ricardo S Martinez. (TH)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT SEATTLE

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ROMERO HEAD, as the court-appointed
Personal Representative of the Estate of
ROMEO A. HEAD,

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Plaintiff,
v.

CASE NO. C16-1727 RSM
ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S
UNOPPOSED MOTION TO
REDACT AND ORDER TO FILE
UNDER SEAL

DISTTECH, LLC, et al.,
Defendants.

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This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiff’s Unopposed Motion to Redact Certain
Information from Pleadings Re: Minor Settlement. Dkts. #108. Plaintiff requests that the
Court “allow for counsel and the court-appointed Guardian ad Litems (“GAL”) to file
pleadings with respect to approval of the agreed settlement and proposed disbursements with
the settlement amount and disbursement amounts to be redacted.” Id. at 1. Plaintiff cites no
legal authority for his request, arguing only that “the strong presumption of public access to
court files, is outweighed by the privacy interests of the surviving children.” Id. at 2. This
motion is not opposed by Defendants.

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S UNOPPOSED MOTION TO REDACT AND ORDER TO
FILE UNDER SEAL - 1

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The Court agrees with Plaintiff that privacy concerns warrant the filing of the
unredacted GAL reports under seal, along with unsealed versions with the settlement amount
and disbursement amounts redacted. Although it is unclear if this is exactly what Plaintiff was
requesting, pursuant to LCR 17(c), the GALs are investigating the adequacy of the offered
settlement and preparing reports to the Court on that subject. The Court cannot properly review
these reports without being privy to the settlement amounts. Plaintiff cites no authority to deny
the Court that information. Accordingly, the GALs must file both sealed and redacted versions
of their reports.
Having reviewed the relevant briefing and the remainder of the record, the Court hereby
finds and ORDERS that Plaintiff’s Unopposed Motion to Redact Certain Information from
Pleadings Re: Minor Settlement, Dkts. #108, is GRANTED. Counsel for the parties and the
court-appointed GALs may file pleadings with the settlement amount and the proposed
disbursement amounts redacted, and are ORDERED to file sealed versions.

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DATED this 16 day of April, 2018.

A

RICARDO S. MARTINEZ
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S UNOPPOSED MOTION TO REDACT AND ORDER TO
FILE UNDER SEAL - 2