UnifySCC v. Cody

Opinion

1 2 3 4 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 5 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 6 7 TOM DAVIS, et al., Case No. 22-cv-01019-BLF (SVK)

8 Plaintiffs, ORDER DENYING ADMINISTRATIVE 9 v. MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANOTHER PARTY’S MATERIAL 10 SARA H. CODY, et al., SHOULD BE SEALED 11 Defendants. Re: Dkt. No. 207

13 Before the Court is Defendants’ Administrative Motion to Consider Whether Plaintiffs’ 14 materials, namely financial details, should be sealed. See Dkt. 207. Having reviewed the 15 submission, the relevant law and the record in this action, the Court DENIES the motion. 16 Courts recognize a “general right to inspect and copy public records and documents, 17 including judicial records and documents.” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. Of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 18 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Nixon v. Warner Communs., Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 & n.7 (1978)). A 19 request to seal court records therefore starts with a “strong presumption in favor of access.” 20 Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178 (quoting Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 331 F.3d 1122, 1135 21 (9th Cir. 2003)). For records attached to motions that are “not related, or only tangentially related, 22 to the merits of the case,” such as “a discovery motion unrelated to the merits of the case,” a party 23 seeking to seal court records must demonstrate “good cause.” Ctr. For Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., 24 809 F.3d 1092, 1099 (9th Cir. 2016); see also Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179. For a Motion to Consider 25 Whether Another Party’s Material Should Be Sealed, the designating party must file a supporting 26 statement and/or declaration within 7 days. Civil. L.R. 79-5(f)(3). In this case, Plaintiffs have not 27 filed any such statement or declaration. Accordingly, and because the financial information at issue ] The Clerk of Court shall unseal Dkts. 207-3 (the Joint Statement) and 207-4 □□□□□□□□□□□ 2 || responses to Defendants’ Fourth Set of Interrogatories). 3 4 SO ORDERED. 5 Dated: October 3, 2025 6 7 Staten YeYl SUSAN VAN KEULEN 8 United States Magistrate Judge 9 10 1] as 12

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