Natasha Hiller v. Money Source Incorporated

Summary

The United States District Court for the District of Arizona addresses the parties’ requests to seal materials related to their motions for partial summary judgment. The court grants the parties’ stipulation, grants in part and denies in part the defendant’s motion, orders certain documents sealed, and requires a redacted version of the defendant’s motion to be publicly filed.

Holdings

1. Because the dispositive motions were more than tangentially related to the merits, the parties were required to show compelling reasons for sealing. Protecting private personal information and proprietary, non-public business information from public disclosure constituted a compelling reason to seal unredacted documents containing that information.
2. Defendant could not keep its redacted motion for partial summary judgment and exhibits under seal; the redacted version had to be filed publicly for the benefit of public access.
3. Plaintiff's time to respond to Defendant's motion for partial summary judgment would begin the day after Defendant filed a redacted version of the motion and exhibits on the public record.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the parties demonstrated sufficient grounds to seal portions of their motions for partial summary judgment and related exhibits.
2. Whether Defendant was required to file a redacted version of its motion and exhibits on the public docket rather than lodging that version under seal.
3. When Plaintiff's time to respond to Defendant's motion for partial summary judgment should begin.

Disposition

other