Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01304/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01304-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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WO 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

Kini M. Seawright; et al., 

 Plaintiff, 

v. 

State of Arizona; et al., 

 Defendants. 

No. CV 11-1304-PHX-JAT 

ORDER 

Under consideration is Defendants’ Motion to Seal Documents (Doc. 79). 

Defendants would like the Court to seal seven attachments to Exhibits to Defendants’ 

Separate Statement of Facts in support of their motion for summary judgment. 

Historically, the public has a right to inspect judicial documents and records. 

Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 (1978). However, such a right is 

not absolute. Nevertheless, there is a strong presumption in favor of access to judicial 

records. A party seeking to seal a judicial record bears the burden of overcoming this 

presumption by either meeting the “compelling reasons” standard if the filing is a 

dispositive pleading, or the “good cause” standard if the filing is a non-dispositive 

pleading. Kamakana v. City & Cty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1180 (9th Cir. 2006). 

Defendants seek to file these attachments under seal for security and safety 

reasons. “In general, ‘compelling reasons’ sufficient to outweigh the public’s interest in 

disclosure and justify sealing court records exist when such ‘court files might have 

become a vehicle for improper purposes,’. . . .” Id. at 1179 (quoting Nixon, 435 U.S. at 

598). 

Case 2:11-cv-01304-JAT Document 85 Filed 03/01/13 Page 1 of 2
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The Court finds that the protection of the information in Defendants’ Exhibits 

constitutes compelling reasons such that the Court will grant Defendants’ motion. 

Based on the foregoing, 

IT IS ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion to Seal Documents (Doc. 79) is 

granted. The Clerk of the Court shall file under seal the attachments to exhibits lodged 

at (Doc. 81). 

Dated this 1st day of March, 2013. 

Case 2:11-cv-01304-JAT Document 85 Filed 03/01/13 Page 2 of 2