In 2018, the Law Center learned more about the State Judiciary’s use of a confidential flag. The confidential flag seals the entire case from public view, including the names of the parties, the docket, and the identities of counsel. Subsequent motions to unseal in specific cases raised questions about whether these cases generally deserved this extreme level of secrecy. One case was an employment dispute involving GEICO Insurance Company (No. 1CC131002053), and another case concerned disputes over the union nonprofit Unity House (No. 1CC000056396). At the request of the Law Center, the State Judiciary provided the case numbers for all regular civil cases filed in circuit court with a confidential flag since 2005.
On November 13, 2023, the Law Center moved to unseal files in another case, South Point, Inc. v. Taufoai Paese et al. It was a mortgage foreclosure case. On December 20, the Honorable Kevin T. Morikone ordered the case unsealed. No. 1CC071000267.
- Motion to Unseal (11/13/23)
- Order Granting Motion to Unseal (12/20/23)
Unsealed Documents