Opinion ID: 391003
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Purposes for Which the Documents Were Introduced

Text: 62 The single most important element in our conclusion that the proper balance has not been struck in this case is the fact that the documents at issue were introduced by the defendants for the sole purpose of demonstrating the unlawfulness of the search and seizure. Whatever the purposes served by the exclusionary rule, the fundamental thrust of the fourth amendment is at bottom the protection of privacy and property interests. 108 Putting aside for the moment the prospect of untoward invasions of third-party interests, it would be ironic indeed if one who contests the lawfulness of a search and seizure were always required to acquiesce in a substantial invasion of those interests simply to vindicate them. 109 63 It must be remembered that the documents here were not determined by the trial judge to be relevant to the crimes charged; they were not used in the subsequent trial; nor were they described or even expressly relied upon by the trial judge in his decision on the suppression motion. Their only use by the parties and the only purpose for which they were admitted in the criminal proceedings was to assist the court in its determination of whether the search and seizure were unlawfully overbroad. If such a connection with the proceedings were enough by itself to justify public access, there would be very little left of fourth amendment and common law rights to privacy. For, by the act of attempting to show the excesses of the search by the extent of the documents seized-documents which may not be relevant to criminal charges or necessary to trial-defendants in criminal proceedings and nondefendant owners in Rule 41(e) proceedings will invite public dissemination of the contents of the documents and thereby impair the very privacy rights they seek to vindicate, regardless of the use ultimately made of the documents by the court. 64 The risk is especially grave in document searches not only because the protected position occupied by personal papers has traditionally been closely guarded 110 but because determination of a claim of overbreadth may require the court to examine the documents' contents. However, in this case it is not clear that such an examination was undertaken in the course of ruling on the suppression motion; the unsealing decision is thus especially difficult to reconcile with the purposes underlying the documents' inclusion in the record of the suppression proceedings. 65 Finally, one factor not crucial to our decision is nevertheless worth emphasizing: that is, that the lawfulness of the search and seizure was certain to be appealed at the time the trial judge entered his unsealing order. 111 That appeal has been filed and is still pending in this court. Until the appellate route has been exhausted, the lawfulness of the search and seizure has not been finally determined. The possibility of reversal on appeal contributes to the irony inherent in the decision to unseal the documents at issue. 66 Given all the factors discussed above we conclude that on the present state of the record the seal on the documents at issue here should not have been lifted, and should continue unless on remand some substantial factors are identified which weigh in favor of public access to particular documents. 67