Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01590/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01590-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 895
Nature of Suit: Freedom of Information Act of 1974
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Injunction

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

JOHN M. LOWERY,

Plaintiff,

v.

Hon. Christopher A. Hart, 

Chairman, NATIONAL 

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD;

And Loretta E. Lynch, 

Attorney General, UNITED 

STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Defendants.

CIV. NO. 2:15-01590 WBS DB

ORDER RE: REQUEST TO SEAL

----oo0oo----

Plaintiff John M. Lowery brought this action against 

the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and the 

Attorney General of the United States Department of Justice 

asserting violations of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 

§ 552. Presently before the court is defendants’ request to seal 

in connection with their motion for summary judgment. (Docket 

No. 34.)

Case 2:15-cv-01590-WBS-DB Document 35 Filed 10/14/16 Page 1 of 2
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Defendants move to seal the Cunningham Declaration,

Docket Number 32-3, on the ground that defendants inadvertently 

included unredacted copies of documents containing plaintiff’s

identifying information. Defendants have submitted a redacted 

version of the declaration. (Docket No. 33.) The only redacted 

information is plaintiff’s date of birth and Social Security 

number in Exhibits 9, 12, and 21. (Id. Exs. 9, 12, 21.)

While a party seeking to seal a judicial record bears 

the burden of overcoming a strong presumption in favor of public 

access, defendants meet this presumption here. Kamakana v. City 

& County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006). Local 

Rule 140 permits parties to seal Social Security numbers and

dates of birth. E.D. Cal. L.R. 140(a)(iii)-(iv). This 

information is not relevant to the dispute, so the public does 

not have an interest in this information. The parties have an 

interest in keeping this information private and defendants 

submitted a redacted declaration. Accordingly, the court will 

grant defendant’s motion to seal Docket Number 32-3.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that defendants’ request to 

seal the Cunningham Declaration at Docket Number 32-3 be, and the 

same hereby is, GRANTED. 

Dated: October 13, 2016

Case 2:15-cv-01590-WBS-DB Document 35 Filed 10/14/16 Page 2 of 2