2d Circuit: Document Unsealing (18-2868)

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT No. 18-2868 VIRGINIA L. GIUFFRE, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. GHISLAINE MAXWELL, Defendant-Appellant. OPINION Before: JOSE A. CABRANES, ROBERT D. SACK, CHRISTOPHER F. DRONEY, Circuit Judges. JOSE A. CABRANES, Circuit Judge: This appeal concerns the extent to which documents filed in connection with a civil lawsuit should remain under seal. We conclude that the District Court correctly determined that the materials at issue — largely consisting of depositions and related exhibits filed in connection with a summary judgment motion — are judicial documents to which a presumption of public access attaches. The court ordered release of approximately 2,000 pages of documents, finding that the public's right of access outweighed individual privacy interests. This ruling established the legal framework under which subsequent tranches of documents were released to the public, including the major January 2024 release. Source: GovInfo Available at: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca2-18-02868/USCOURTS-ca2-18-02868-0