LIMITING ACCESS TO CASES OR COURT RECORDS

(A) Procedure for Limiting Access. (1) The procedure for post-adjudication sealing of juvenile case records under 15 M.R.S. § 3308-C(10) is set out in Rule 6(D)(1). (2) The procedure for limiting access to cases or court records, or portions thereof, or other sealing or impounding of court records, pursuant to statutes, rules, or orders, is by motion: (a) Limiting Access to Cases and Court Records Accessible by the Public. The motion must be accompanied by an affidavit stating the basis upon which the movant has standing, and the reason for the request to limit access, including a statement describing the harm that is alleged will occur should the motion be denied. The motion and all attachments must be marked “NONPUBLIC” when filed. (b) Limiting Party Access to Nonpublic Court Records. A motion pursuant to this section must state that the request is to limit party access. The motion must be accompanied by an affidavit stating the basis upon which the movant has standing, and the reason for the request to limit access, including a statement describing the harm that is alleged will occur should the motion be denied. The motion and all attachments must be marked “NONPUBLIC” when filed. (c) The person filing the motion must serve the motion to limit access on all parties unless the motion is filed ex parte. (d) Upon acceptance by the court clerk of a motion to limit access, the motion and any related documents will not be accessible by the public, pending the court’s ruling on the motion. The court clerk shall not docket the filing of the motion on the registry of actions until the court has ruled on the motion. (e) Upon acceptance by the court clerk of an ex parte motion to limit access, the motion and any related documents or related entries on the registry of actions will not be accessible by 32 the public or by any other party, pending the court’s ruling on the motion. (f) The court may limit access to a case or a court record if it finds that a reasonable expectation of privacy substantially outweighs the public interest in public access, or the party’s interest in access, to the case or court record. In weighing a reasonable expectation of privacy against the public and party interests in access to the case or court record, the court will consider the following factors: (i) A person’s safety, health, or well-being, (ii) A person’s substantial personal, business, or reputational interest, and (iii) The public’s and party’s interests in access to information in the court record. (g) If the court grants a motion to limit access to a case, access to all existing court records in that case and any court records subsequently filed are subject to that limitation. (B) Handling of Cases and Court Records to which there is Limited Access. A person submitting documents subject to an order under this rule must comply with Rule 12. Advisory Note – January 2026