Blair Cnty. C.P. Case Record Public Access § 9

Court Facility

The following information shall not be accessible by the public at a court facility:

A. Case records in proceedings under 20 Pa.C.S. § 711(9), including but not

limited to case records with regard to issues concerning recordation of birth

and birth records, the alteration, amendment, or modification of such birth

records, and the right to obtain a certified copy of the same, except for the

docket and any court order or opinion;

B. Case records concerning incapacity proceedings filed pursuant to 20 Pa.C.S.

§§ 5501-5555, except for the docket and any final decree adjudicating a

person as incapacitated;

C. Any Confidential Information Form or any Unredacted Version of any

document as set forth in Section 7.0;

D. Any document filed with a Confidential Document Form as set forth in

Section 8.0;

E. Information sealed or protected pursuant to court order;

F. Information to which access is otherwise restricted by federal law, state law,

or state court rule; and

G. Information presenting a risk to personal security, personal privacy, or the

fair, impartial and orderly administration of justice, as determined by the

Court Administrator of Pennsylvania with the approval of the Chief Justice.

The Court Administrator shall publish notification of such determinations in

the Pennsylvania Bulletin and on the Unified Judicial System’s website.

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

to refrain from inserting confidential information in or attaching confidential documents

to 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.

With respect to Subsection F, Pennsylvania Rule of Appellate Procedure 104(a),

Pa.R.A.P. 104(a), provides that the appellate courts may make and amend rules of court

governing their practice. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shall from

time to time publish a list of applicable authorities that restrict public access to court

records or information. This list shall be published on the Unified Judicial System’s

website and in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. In addition, all custodians shall post this list in

their respective court facilities in areas accessible to the public and on the custodians’

websites.

With respect to Subsection G, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

shall include any such determinations in the list of applicable authorities referenced

above. The same provision appears in [existing statewide public access policies

adopted by the Supreme Court:] the Electronic Case Record Public Access Policy of

the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania [and Public Access Policy of the Unified

Judicial System of Pennsylvania: Official Case Records of the Magisterial District

Courts]. The provision is intended to be a safety valve to address a future, extraordinary,

unknown issue of statewide importance that might escape timely redress otherwise. It

cannot be used by parties or courts in an individual case.