Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00943/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00943-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Robert William Creighton
Petitioner
Tim Perez
Respondent

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT WILLIAM CREIGHTON,

Petitioner,

v.

TIM PEREZ,

Respondent.

Case No. 15-cv-00943-JD 

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO 

FILE UNDER SEAL

Re: Dkt. Nos. 12, 14, 15

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 petitioner’s Marin County 

Probation Report under seal. 

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

In this instance there are compelling reasons to justify sealing the probation report. The 

sealing of this information will protect details concerning petitioner’s family background, medical 

and psychological condition, history of substance abuse, and other similar information. California 

law has also found that this information should be sealed. People v. Connor, 115 Cal. App. 4th 

669, 695 (2004); California Rules of Court 8.45-8.47; California Civil Code section 1798.24. 

Accordingly, the motion to file the probation report under seal (Docket No. 14) is GRANTED. 

Case 3:15-cv-00943-JD Document 16 Filed 11/17/15 Page 1 of 3
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Respondent’s motion for an extension (Docket No. 12) is GRANTED and the answer is deemed 

timely filed. Petitioner’s motion for an extension (Docket No. 15) is GRANTED and he may file 

a traverse by November 20, 2015.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 17, 2015

________________________

JAMES DONATO

United States District Judge

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT WILLIAM CREIGHTON,

Plaintiff,

v.

TIM PEREZ,

Defendant.

Case No. 15-cv-00943-JD 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. 

District Court, Northern District of California.

That on November 17, 2015, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by 

placing said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by 

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office delivery 

receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Robert William Creighton

P.O. Box 11

Fairfax, CA 94978 

Dated: November 17, 2015

Susan Y. Soong

Clerk, United States District Court

By:________________________

LISA R. CLARK, Deputy Clerk to the 

Honorable JAMES DONATO

Case 3:15-cv-00943-JD Document 16 Filed 11/17/15 Page 3 of 3