Opinion ID: 3161585
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Breadth of application

Text: The final Ishikawa factor requires the court to make the closure or sealing order no broader in its application or duration than necessary to serve its purpose. Eikenberry, 121 Wn.2d at 212. Here, the trial court violated the fifth Ishikawa factor by making a blanket decision regarding the sealing of documents in all parental termination cases rather than conducting an individualized analysis of the necessity and extent of sealing in each case. In our cases discussing the Ishikawa factors, we have repeatedly stated that its factors must be applied on a case-by-case basis. E.g., id. at 211; Dreiling, 151 Wn.2d at 915. In fact, our case law requires courts to specifically analyze the necessity of sealing each individual document at issue. Eikenberry, 121 Wn.2d at 208. Like the statute that we struck down in Eikenberry, the procedure endorsed and implemented by the superior court's memorandum order in this case does not direct judges to conduct an individualized analysis for each document in each case, but instead ensure[s] no disclosure whatsoever for all documents of a certain type. /d. at 212. This violates the Ishikawa framework, which requires that decisions to seal court records be made on an individualized basis. /d. at 211. For the reasons stated above, the Ishikawa factors weigh against the ex parte sealing of the disputed documents. The sealing of those documents therefore violated article I, section 10. 29 In re the Dependency of M.H.P., No. 90468-5