Eric Rios v. County of Los Angeles

Summary

This document is a proposed stipulated protective order governing the designation, use, disclosure, challenge, filing, and disposition of confidential discovery materials in Eric Rios v. County of Los Angeles. It addresses confidential medical information, peace-officer personnel and investigative records, privileged material, and other sensitive information in a federal civil-rights action.

Holdings

1. The court entered the parties' stipulated protective order governing confidential discovery materials in the action.
2. Material designated as confidential under the order may be used only for prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle the action and may be disclosed only to the authorized categories of persons subject to the order's conditions.
3. A party or nonparty may challenge a confidentiality designation, but the designating party bears the burden of persuasion, and the material remains protected under the designation until the court rules or the designation is waived or withdrawn.
4. Designation of discovery material as confidential does not authorize filing that material under seal; a party seeking to file protected material under seal must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5 and obtain a court order authorizing sealing of the specific material.
5. The protective-order protections do not extend beyond commencement of trial for court-filed information to be introduced, subject to any trial judge order based on compelling reasons; after final disposition, protected material generally must be returned or destroyed within the specified period upon written request, subject to counsel's archival-copy exception.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court should enter the parties' stipulated protective order governing the designation, use, disclosure, challenge, filing, and disposition of confidential discovery materials.
2. What procedures and protections should govern confidential law-enforcement personnel records, investigative materials, medical records, privileged materials, and other private information produced in discovery.

Disposition

other