There is “a general presumption that criminal and civil actions should be conducted publicly ... includ[ing] the right to inspect and copy public records and documents.” Chicago Tribune Co. v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 263 F.3d 1304, 1311 (11th Cir. 2001);
see also S.D. Fla. Local Rule 5.4(a) (“Unless otherwise prohibited by law, Court rule, or Court order, proceedings in the United States District Court are public and Court filings are matters of public record.”). Courts must be “resolute” in enforcing this presumption. Callahan v. United Network for Organ Sharing, 17 F.4th 1356 (11th Cir. 2021).
*2 “[M]aterial filed with discovery motions is not subject to the common-law right of access, whereas discovery material filed in connection with pretrial motions that require judicial resolution of the merits is subject to the common-law right.” Chicago Tribune Co., 263 F.3d at 1312, n.11 (footnote symbol omitted) (“[D]ocuments filed in connection with motions to compel discovery are not subject to the common-law right of access.”);
see Romero v. Drummond Co., 480 F.3d 1234, 1245 (11th Cir. 2007) (“Material filed in connection with any substantive pretrial motion, unrelated to discovery, is subject to the common law right of access”).
The common law right of access may be overcome by a showing of good cause, which requires “balanc[ing] the asserted right of access against the other party's interest in keeping the information confidential.” “[W]hether good cause exists ... is ... decided by the nature and character of the information in question.” In balancing the public interest in accessing court documents against a party's interest in keeping the information confidential, courts consider, among other factors, whether allowing access would impair court functions or harm legitimate privacy interests, the degree of and likelihood of injury if made public, the reliability of the information, whether there will be an opportunity to respond to the information, whether the information concerns public officials or public concerns, and the availability of a less onerous alternative to sealing the documents. A party's privacy or proprietary interest in information sometimes overcomes the interest of the public in accessing the information.
Romero, 480 F.3d at 1246 (citations omitted) (brackets in original). Also, a court should consider “whether the records are sought for such illegitimate purposes as to promote public scandal or gain unfair commercial advantage.”
Comm'r, Alabama Dep't of Corr. v. Advance Loc. Media, LLC, 918 F.3d 1161, 1169 (11th Cir. 2019) (quotation omitted) cited in Callahan, 17 F.4th at 1363. A desire “to keep indiscreet communications out of the public eye” is not enough to demonstrate good cause. Callahan, 17 F.4th at 1364.
Separately, Rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permits the Court, upon a showing of good cause, to protect “a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden,” including by requiring that “confidential ... commercial information ... be revealed only in a specified way.” This authority includes the ability to order that documents filed with the Court be kept under seal.
See Chicago Tribune Co., 263 F.3d at 1313; Callahan, 17 F.4th at 1363, n.2 (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)(1)). The party asking for sealing bears the burden of justifying it. Chicago Tribune Co., 263 F.3d at 1313.