D. Me. Loc. R. 5.2

Materials may be filed under seal only on order of the Court, in accordance with the

following procedures:

(a) Motion to Seal

To obtain an order allowing materials to be sealed, a party must electronically

file a motion to seal, in accordance with Local Rule 7, together with the

materials sought to be sealed. The motion must state the grounds as to the

need for sealing, the duration the materials should be sealed, and whether the

parties agree that the materials should be sealed. The ECF system will

generate and send a Notice of Electronic Filing to the parties of record notifying

them of the filing, but the parties will be unable to view the document. If

service is required, all parties must be served in a manner other than through

ECF.

(b) Response and Reply

Any response or reply to a motion to seal or motion filed under seal must be

filed electronically under seal and in accordance with Local Rule 7.

(c) Order

In making specific findings as to the need for sealing and the duration the

materials will be sealed, the Court may incorporate by reference any proposed

findings in the motion to seal. If the Court denies the motion to seal, the motion

to seal and any supporting documents will remain in the ECF system, sealed

unless the Court orders otherwise. The Court’s order on the motion to seal will

not be filed under seal and will be publicly available.

(d) Public Notice

Materials, documents, and pleadings filed under this rule will only be available

to the Court, but the docket entries reflecting their filing will be publicly

available.

(e) Exceptions

(1) Redaction of Personal Identifiers. No motion or order is required for

the filing of a document that has been redacted solely to remove personal

identifiers under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 or that is included

within a category of pleadings and documents deemed sealed or

authorized to be filed ex parte under a federal statute or rule. Any filing

of a redacted document should reference the authority for such

redaction.

(2) Confidentiality Orders. Documents marked confidential under an

existing confidentiality order are not automatically entitled to be filed

under seal. The parties must confer and attempt to redact the exhibit in

order to remove confidential material that is not essential for the Court’s

use in rendering a decision. If the exhibit cannot be redacted by

agreement to remove confidential information, the party claiming that

the document should be under seal must file a motion in compliance with

subsection (a).

(3) Materials that Cannot Be Filed Electronically. Sealed materials

that cannot be filed electronically, such as video and audio files or bulky

exhibits, must be filed in accordance with the provisions of the ECF User

Manual.

(f) Motions for Highly Sensitive Document Status

Motions seeking to designate a document as a highly sensitive document must

be made in accordance with Local Rule 5.3.