R.M. v. Warden of the Golden State Annex Detention Facility, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California grants petitioner’s motion to proceed under the pseudonym R.M. and grants related protective relief requiring redaction of petitioner’s full name. The court also grants the motion to seal an eleven-page medical report, subject to pagination and filing requirements under the court’s local rules.

Holdings

1. The court granted petitioner permission to proceed under the pseudonym R.M. because the asserted risk of retaliatory harm, the circumstances of the asylum case, petitioner's vulnerability, and the absence of prejudice to respondent justified anonymity.
2. The court granted the protective-order request to the extent that the parties must refer to petitioner as petitioner or by initials and redact documents containing petitioner's full name.
3. The court granted petitioner's request to file the medical report under seal.

Questions Presented

1. Whether petitioner should be permitted to proceed under a pseudonym based on the asserted risk of retaliatory harm.
2. Whether a protective order should require the parties to refer to petitioner by initials or as petitioner and redact documents containing petitioner's full name.
3. Whether petitioner demonstrated compelling reasons to seal the medical report.

Disposition

other