E.A.P.C. v. Minga Wofford, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California granted Petitioner E.A.P.C.’s unopposed motion to proceed under a pseudonym in a habeas action brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2241. The court ordered the parties and counsel to use “E.A.P.C.” in future filings and prohibited disclosure of the petitioner’s true name except as authorized by the court or necessary to litigate the case.

Holdings

1. A district court may permit a party to proceed under a pseudonym when special circumstances justify secrecy and nondisclosure is necessary to protect the person from harassment, injury, ridicule, or personal embarrassment.
2. Petitioner was entitled to proceed under the pseudonym E.A.P.C. because the potential harm and reasonable fears concerning sensitive mental and physical health information, together with the lack of prejudice to Respondents and the public interest at this stage, outweighed the competing interests in disclosure.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Petitioner should be permitted to proceed under a pseudonym to protect against potential harassment, retaliation, stigma, and disclosure of sensitive personal health information.
2. Whether the need for anonymity outweighed the presumption that litigants' identities are public information, any prejudice to Respondents, and the public interest.

Disposition

other