Exceptions to Electronic Filing in Criminal Cases

Documents exempted from electronic filing pursuant to one of the subsections listed below must be presented to the Clerk for filing or 12/1/2025 Chapter III - 15 LOCAL RULES – CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA lodging in paper format or submitted electronically by e-mail as indicated below, and must comply with the requirements of L.R. 11 and all other applicable Local and Federal Rules. (a) Exemptions for Particular Filers. The following filers are exempt from the requirement to file documents electronically: (1) Pro Se Litigants. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, pro se litigants may present documents to the Clerk for filing either in paper format or through the Court’s Electronic Document Submission System as set forth in Local Rule 5-4.1.1.

Documents in paper format received by the Clerk from pro se litigants under this rule will be scanned by the Clerk into the CM/ECF System. Once scanned, the original paper documents will be destroyed. (2) Other Exceptional Cases Involving Unregistered Filers. For good cause shown, the Court may grant an exemption from the obligation to file electronically to a filer who is not registered with the Court's CM/ECF.

Any such exemption must not exceed one calendar year, but may be renewed upon good cause shown. If any filer granted such an exemption thereafter registers for the Court's CM/ECF System, that registration must abrogate any exemption granted under this rule. Documents presented for filing by an attorney granted an exemption under this rule must be presented to the Clerk for filing in paper format. Such documents received will be scanned by the Clerk into the CM/ECF System.

Once scanned, the original paper documents will be destroyed. (b) Documents Excluded from Electronic Filing. The following documents are excluded from the electronic filing requirement of Local Criminal Rule 49-1.1: (1) Nonpaper and Oversized Paper Exhibits. Nonpaper physical exhibits may not be filed at any time in any format.

Such exhibits must either be lodged with the Clerk under L.R. 11-5.1 (if submitted as an exhibit to a document) or submitted under L.R. 79-3 or 79-4 at the 12/1/2025 Chapter III - 16 LOCAL RULES – CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA time of a trial or hearing. Any exhibit on a sheet of paper too large or irregularly shaped to be scanned into PDF format may not be filed. It must either be lodged with the Clerk in paper format under L.R. 11-5.4 (if submitted as an exhibit to a document) or submitted under L.R. 79- 3 or 79-4 at the time of a trial or hearing. (2) Criminal Case-Initiating Documents.

Grand jury indictments and superseding indictments must be submitted in court to the duty Magistrate Judge. All other criminal case-initiating documents, e.g., complaints, informations, and superseding informations must be submitted for filing with the Clerk by e-mail to the criminal intake e-mail inbox for the division of the Court to which the case is assigned. The intake e-mail inbox address for each division is indicated on the Court’s website. (3) Under-Seal and In-Camera Documents, and Other Documents Excluded from the Public Case File.

Applications and proposed orders to seal or file in camera, along with the document for which protection is sought, and any documents for which under-seal or in- camera filing is authorized by statute, rule, or prior court order must be presented for filing in paper form, unless the filer is permitted to submit the documents through the Court’s Electronic Document Submission System under L.R. 5-4.2(a)(1). If the title of a document to be filed under seal contains confidential information that should not be reflected on the public docket, the document should be submitted with a cover sheet that uses a generic title like “SEALED APPLICATION,” “SEALED MOTION,” “SEALED PROPOSED ORDER,” or “SEALED DOCUMENT” rather than the actual title of the document. Unless the documents are subject to L.Cr.R. 49-1.2(b)(4), or the Court orders otherwise, the original documents must be submitted for filing in separate sealed envelopes, with a copy of the title page attached to the front of each envelope, and must be 12/1/2025 Chapter III - 17 LOCAL RULES – CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA accompanied by a PDF version of the documents on a CD or flash drive. Other documents excluded from the public case file pursuant to L.Cr.R. 49.1-2 must not be filed electronically, but must be filed, if appropriate, as otherwise provided in the Local Rules of this Court, and in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure.

(4) Criminal Duty Matters. Unless otherwise authorized, the following documents must be filed with the Clerk in paper form, accompanied by a PDF version of the documents on a CD or flash drive: (a) Applications for Pen Registers, Search Warrants, Seizure Warrants, Arrest Warrants, Wire Taps, Cell Site Information, Tracking Services, and other such documents; (b) Real Property Bond-Related Documents; (c) Collateral Bonds (Cash or Negotiable Securities); and (d) Under-Seal and In-Camera Documents. Except as to real property bond-related documents and collateral bonds (cash or negotiable securities), all other bond-related documents must be submitted for filing with the Clerk by e-mail to the criminal intake e-mail inbox for the division of the Court to which the case is assigned. The intake e-mail inbox address for each division is indicated on the Court’s website.

Bond- related documents containing personal identifying information must be submitted for filing in redacted and unredacted format, as required in Local Rule 5.2-1. (5) Other Exceptions. For good cause shown, the Court may permit a particular document or exhibit to be filed or 12/1/2025 Chapter III - 18 LOCAL RULES – CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA lodged in paper format, rather than electronically. If permission to file or lodge a document or exhibit in paper format is obtained, the document or exhibit shall be filed or lodged in compliance with L.R. 11-4.

Unless the filer is exempted from electronic filing pursuant to Local Criminal Rule 49-1.2(a), the filer shall first file electronically a Notice of Manual Filing or Lodging describing the document or exhibit being filed or lodged in paper format, and present a copy of the Notice of Manual Filing or Lodging, together with its NEF (see L.R. 5-3.2.1), with the document to be filed or lodged.