Opinion
2:20-CR-03 DAD
01-26-2023
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. RYAN GUIDRY, Defendant.
PHILLIP A. TALBERT United States Attorney CHRISTOPHER S. HALES KEVIN C. KHASIGIAN Assistant United States Attorneys Attorneys for Plaintiff
PHILLIP A. TALBERT
United States Attorney
CHRISTOPHER S. HALES
KEVIN C. KHASIGIAN
Assistant United States Attorneys
Attorneys for Plaintiff
ORDER TO SEAL DOCUMENT
This matter came before the Court on the United States's Request to Seal Documents in which in the prosecution has requested the Court seal a five-page Motion for Downward Departure Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1, the Request, and this Order.
Having read and considered the papers submitted, and being fully informed, the Court GRANTS the United States's Request and FINDS as follows:
1. Protecting the safety of a cooperating defendant qualifies as a compelling interest as does protecting the integrity of criminal investigations; accordingly, a compelling interest justifying nondisclosure of the aforementioned documents exists in this case.
2. Without the sealing of the aforementioned documents, there is a substantial likelihood that the defendant's safety will be endangered and that on-going criminal investigations, as well as future criminal investigations that rely on the use of cooperating defendants, will be jeopardized.
3. Anything less than sealing the aforementioned documents will identify defendant Ryan Guidry, as a cooperating defendant and thereby jeopardize his safety and jeopardize on-going and future investigations. As such, sealing the aforementioned documents is narrowly tailored to achieve the compelling interests found herein.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the following documents in the above-captioned case are to be SEALED until further order of this Court:
1. The five-page Motion for Downward Departure Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1; and
2. The Request to Seal Documents, and
3. This Order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT the docket entries in this case shall not refer to the United States's Motion for Downward Departure Pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1.
IT IS SO ORDERED.