Legal Question in Personal Injury in California
filed cases
Can cases that are filed with the
courts but not decided yet, be made public?
4 Answers from Attorneys
Re: filed cases
All cases filed with the courts are "made public" merely by the fact that they are filed, and (unless the court is formally asked to seal them for some unusual reason, such as to protect the identity of a minor or a rape victim) the papers filed by the parties may be viewed by any member of the public in the Clerk's Office at the courthouse. (You will probably be asked for a picture ID to have the file provided to you for review. If you want copies of any of the papers in the file, you will be asked to pay a copying fee per page copied.)
Re: filed cases
Your case is officially considered public discourse as soon as it is filed. That is why you see cases on the news that are not yet decided.
Re: filed cases
Depends on whether there is a confidentiality order or not. What kind of case is it and why do you want it made public?
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Re: filed cases
There are some cases that by law are confidential. All juvenile court case, both criminal and dependency are confidential and are not open to the public without a court order. Paternity cases are also confidential.