Bueno Zaragoza v. Lynch

Opinion

MA ROSARIO BUENO ZARAGOZA, an 2:21-cv-02294 TLN-JDP individual; ESTATE OF LUIS GIOVANNY AGUILAR, deceased, by his successor-in- ORDER interest Ma Rosario Bueno Zaragoza,

Plaintiffs, v. JEFFREY W. LYNCH, an individual, and DOES 1 through 30, inclusive, Defendants. On January 23, 2025, Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment. (ECF No. 84.) Plaintiff’s counsel informed defense counsel that she intended to submit video surveillance footage evidence in support of her opposition to Defendants’ motion, and on February 18, 2025, defense counsel submitted the video evidence, along with an unopposed request under Local Rule 141 that the video evidence be filed under seal because it contains confidential and sensitive information. ] There is “a strong presumption in favor of access to court records.” Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 1096 (9th Cir. 2016) (citation omitted). However, “access to judicial records is not absolute.” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006). For dispositive motions, such as a motion for summary judgment, a request to seal can be granted only if the moving party offers a “compelling reason” to keep the information in question from the public. Ctr. for Auto Safety, 809 F.3d at 1096-97 (quoting Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179); see also Xie v. De Young Properties 5418, LP, No. 16-01518, 2018 WL 3241068, at *2 (E.D. Cal. July 2, 2018). The party seeking to seal must “articulate compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings, that outweigh the general history of access and the public policies favoring disclosure, such as the public interest in understanding the judicial process.” Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178 (internal marks and citations omitted). Having considered the request to seal documents, the Court finds that compelling reasons exist to file the video evidence under seal. Accordingly, the request to seal the video evidence is GRANTED. The Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to file the video evidence under seal along with the request to seal in order to preserve the record.

DATED: March 11, 2025 Troy L. Nunléy Chief United States District Judge