Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-01588/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-01588-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Connie Gibson
Respondent
Jesse J. Vale
Petitioner

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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28 1 Petitioner proceeds with a claim that the prosecutor improperly used peremptory

challenges to exclude Hispanic jurors.

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OAKLAND DIVISION

JESSE J. VALE,

Petitioner,

vs.

CONNIE GIBSON, 

Respondent. /

No. C 14-1588 PJH (PR)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION

TO FILE UNDER SEAL

Petitioner, a California prisoner, filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Respondent has filed an answer and seeks to file the

unredacted list of juror names under seal.1 The list also contains addresses and phone

numbers for the sworn jurors.

The court may order a document filed under seal "upon a request that establishes

that the document, or portions thereof are privileged, protectable as a trade secret or

otherwise entitled to protection under the law (hereinafter referred to as 'sealable'). The

request must be narrowly tailored to seek sealing only of sealable material." N. D. Cal.

Local Rule 79-5. There is a strong presumption favoring the public's right of access to

court records which should be overridden only for a compelling reason. Hagestad v.

Tragesser, 49 F.3d 1430, 1433-34 (9th Cir. 1995). "Counseling against such access would

be the likelihood of an improper use, 'including publication of scandalous, libelous,

pornographic, or trade secret materials; infringement of fair trial rights of the defendants or

third persons; and residual privacy rights.'" Valley Broadcasting Co. v. United States

Case 4:14-cv-01588-PJH Document 22 Filed 02/11/15 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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District Court, 798 F.2d 1289, 1294 (9th Cir. 1986) (citation omitted). 

In this instance there are compelling reasons justify sealing the unredacted list of

juror information. The sealing of this information will protect the identities of jurors in

accordance with the state's interest in affording such protection. See Cal. Civ. Proc. Code

§ 237(a)(2) (providing for post-trial sealing of “personal juror identifying information”); Cal.

R. Ct. 8.332(b)(1) (providing for deletion of jurors' personal identifying information from

documents filed on appeal).

CONCLUSION 

1. The motion to file the list of juror names and contact information under seal

(Docket No. 18) is GRANTED.

2. Petitioner’s motion for an extension of time to file a traverse (Docket No. 19) is

GRANTED and the traverse is deemed timely filed.

3. Petitioner’s motion requesting status (Docket No. 21) is GRANTED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 11, 2015. 

 PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

G:\PRO-SE\PJH\HC.14\Vale1588.ord 

Case 4:14-cv-01588-PJH Document 22 Filed 02/11/15 Page 2 of 2