Isael Orellana, et al. v. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, et al.

Summary

This document is a stipulated protective order entered in Isael Orellana, Margarita Navarro, Brian Orellana, and Emily Orellana v. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, et al., in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. It governs the designation, use, disclosure, challenge, filing, and final disposition of confidential discovery material, including peace officer personnel and investigative records. The order was signed by United States Magistrate Judge Pedro V. Castillo on September 8, 2025.

Holdings

1. The court entered the stipulated protective order because the parties demonstrated good cause and a particularized need to protect confidential discovery material, including peace-officer personnel and investigative records.
2. Material designated confidential under the order may be used only to prosecute, defend, or attempt to settle the action and may be disclosed only to authorized persons under the specified conditions.
3. A party or nonparty may challenge a confidentiality designation through the applicable meet-and-confer and discovery-motion procedures, and the designating party bears the burden of persuasion.
4. The protective order does not itself authorize filing confidential material under seal; a party must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5 and obtain a court order authorizing sealing of the specific material.

Questions Presented

1. Whether good cause and a particularized need supported entry of the parties' stipulated protective order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c).
2. What restrictions and procedures should govern the designation, use, disclosure, challenge, filing, and disposition of confidential discovery material.
3. Whether the protective order itself authorized filing protected material under seal.

Disposition

other