Opinion
2:21-cr-20286
10-04-2021
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. CURTIS ALANZO BALLARD, Defendant.
ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO SEAL [38]
STEPHEN J. MURPHY, III United States District Judge.
The Government moved, with Defendant's consent, to seal exhibits it had filed in the response brief to the motion to suppress. ECF 38, PgID 155-56. The Government explained that the exhibits were inadvertently not filed under seal despite containing Defendant's personal information and information about witnesses to the alleged crime. Id. at 155.
The Sixth Circuit favors a "strong presumption in favor of open[]" court records. Shane Grp., Inc. v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mich., 825 F.3d 299, 305 (6th Cir. 2016) (internal quotation omitted). To overcome the strong presumption, a party must show "a compelling reason" that is "narrowly tailored to serve that reason." Id. (citation omitted). The Court also has an "independent" "obligation to explain the basis for sealing court records." Id. at 306. The Court will grant the unopposed motion to seal because protecting personal information and witnesses to a crime are compelling reasons. See United States v. Campbell, No. 1:19-cr-25, 2021 WL 1975319, at *4 (S.D. Ohio May 18, 2021). That said, the Government must file redacted versions of the sealed exhibits on the docket to meet the narrowly tailored prong.
WHEREFORE, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion to seal [38] is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court must SEAL ECF 30-1; 30-2; and 30-3.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Government must FILE redacted versions of the sealed exhibits on the docket no later than October 13, 2021.
SO ORDERED.