Blair Cnty. C.P. Case Record Public Access § 7

A. Unless required by applicable authority or as provided in Subsection C,

the following information is confidential and shall be not included in any

document filed with a court or custodian, except on a Confidential

Information Form filed contemporaneously with the document:

1. Social Security Numbers;

2. Financial Account Numbers, except an active financial account

number may be identified by the last four digits when the financial

account is the subject of the case and cannot otherwise be

identified;

3. Driver License Numbers;

4. State Identification (SID) Numbers;

5. Minors’ names and dates of birth except when a minor is charged

as a defendant in a criminal matter (see 42 Pa.C.S. § 6355); and

6. Abuse victim’s address and other contact information, including

employer’s name, address and work schedule, in family court

actions as defined by Pa.R.C.P. No. 1931(a), except for victim's

name.

This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from

public access pursuant to applicable authority.

B. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall design and

publish the Confidential Information Form.

C. Instead of using the Confidential Information Form, a court of record

may adopt a rule or order permitting the filing of any document in two

versions, a “Redacted Version” and “Unredacted Version.” The

“Redacted Version” shall not include any information set forth in

Subsection A, while the “Unredacted Version” shall include the

information. Redactions must be made in a manner that is visibly evident

to the reader. This Subsection is not applicable to filings in a

magisterial district court.

D. Parties and their attorneys shall be solely responsible for complying with

the provisions of this section and shall certify their compliance to the

court. The certification that shall accompany each filing shall be

substantially in the following form: “I certify that this filing complies with

the provisions of the Case Record Public Access Policy of the Unified

Judicial System of Pennsylvania[: Case Records of the Appellate and

Trial Courts] that require filing confidential information and documents

differently than non-confidential information and documents.”

E. A court or custodian is not required to review or redact any filed document

for compliance with this section. A party’s or attorney’s failure to comply

with this section shall not affect access to case records that are otherwise

accessible.

F. If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of this section, a

court of record may, upon motion or its own initiative, with or without a

hearing order the filed document sealed, redacted, amended or any

combination thereof. A court of record may impose sanctions, including

costs necessary to prepare a compliant document for filing in accordance

with applicable authority.

G. If a filed document fails to comply with the requirements of this

section, a magisterial district court may, upon request or its own

initiative, with or without a hearing order the filed document

redacted, amended or both.

[G.]H. This section shall apply to all documents for any case filed with a

court or custodian on or after the effective date of this policy.

There is authority requiring information listed in Subsection A to appear on

certain documents. For example, Pa.R.C.P. No. 1910.27 provides for inclusion of the

plaintiff’s and defendant’s social security number on a complaint for support.

This section is not applicable to cases that are sealed or exempted from public

access pursuant to applicable authority, for example, cases filed under the Juvenile Act

that are already protected by 42 Pa.C.S. § 6307, and Pa.Rs.J.C.P. 160 and 1160.

While Pa.R.C.P. No. 1931 is suspended in most judicial districts, the reference

to the rule is merely for definitional purposes.

Unless constrained by applicable authority, court personnel and jurists are advised

to refrain from inserting confidential information in court-generated case records (e.g.,

orders, notices) when inclusion of such information is not essential to the resolution of

litigation, appropriate to further the establishment of precedent or the development of

law, or necessary for administrative purposes. For example, if a court’s opinion contains

confidential information and, therefore, must be sealed or heavily redacted to avoid

release of such information, this could impede the public’s access to court records and

ability to understand the court's decision.

Whether using a Confidential Information Form or filing a redacted and

unredacted version of a document in a court of record, the drafter shall indicate where

in the document confidential information has been omitted. For example, the drafter

could insert minors’ initials in the document, while listing full names on the

Confidential Information Form. If more than one child has the same initials, a different

moniker should be used (e.g., child one, child two, etc.).

The option to file a redacted and unredacted version of a document does

not apply to filings in a magisterial district court. Most filings in magisterial

district courts are completed on statewide forms designed by the Administrative

Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Safeguarding the information set forth in this

Section for magisterial district courts is achieved through the use of a Confidential

Information Form (see Subsection A) in tandem with other administrative

protocols (e.g., instituting a public access copy page to the citation form set).

[While Pa.R.C.P. No. 1931 is suspended in most judicial districts, the

reference to the rule is merely for definitional purposes.]

With regard to Subsection D, the certification of compliance is required whether

documents are filed in paper form or via an e-filing system. Moreover, the certification

is required on every document filed with a court or custodian regardless of whether

the filing contains “confidential information” requiring safeguarding under this

policy.

With regard to Subsection E, a court or custodian is not required to review or

redact documents filed by a party or attorney for compliance with this section. However,

such activities are not prohibited.

With regard to Subsection F [A]any party may make a motion to the court of

record to cure any defect(s) in any filed document that does not comport with this section.

With regard to Subsection G, any party may file a request form designed and

published by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts with a magisterial

district court when there is an allegation that a filing was made with that court that

does not comply with this policy.