Dosch v. ITS Logistics, LLC, 1:22-cv-01443

Plaintiffs filed a notice of settlement and were ordered to file state court documents regarding the approval of a minor’s compromise, or to update the court on that approval process.
Plaintiffs requested to file four responsive state court documents under seal, citing concerns about personally identifiable information and other unspecified confidential matters.
The documents in question are filings from the Los Angeles Superior Court and are already public and unredacted, accessible through the court’s website and clerk’s office.
Plaintiffs cited authority for sealing some sensitive information (e.g., under Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2) but failed to provide legal justification to seal the documents in their entirety.
The case implicates principles of public access to court records, particularly regarding settlements involving minors, which require court and public scrutiny.
The court considered whether the compelling reasons standard for sealing in the context of minors’ compromises was met.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether state court filings for approval of minor’s compromise should be sealed in federal court	Sealing is warranted for privacy/confidentiality, including some PII	Not detailed	Request to seal denied; only sensitive PII may be redacted

Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court, 464 U.S. 501 (presumptive public right of access to court proceedings and documents)
San Jose Mercury News, Inc. v. U.S. Dist. Court, 187 F.3d 1096 (presumption of public access to litigation documents)
Oregonian Publishing Co. v. U.S. Dist. Court, 920 F.2d 1462 (standard and requirements for overcoming presumption of public access)