CIT Restricts Electronic Access to Sealed Documents
Court of International Trade Chief Judge Mark Barnett on Oct. 16 restricted electronic access to sealed documents in light of a "recent escalation in cyberattacks on the CM/ECF systems of federal courts." While sealed documents will continue to be filed in the CM/ECF system under "existing procedures," non-court users no longer can access or view these documents "by electronic means," the court said.
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Due to this lack of electronic access, service of sealed documents "will no longer be accomplished through CM/ECF," the court said. Instead, parties must serve these documents "by other appropriate means and file a certificate of service as provided by the Rules of the Court," Barnett said. The trade court's clerk's office will serve court-issued sealed documents in "paper form by mail or express delivery service as approved by the issuing judge."
Parties who wish to request copies of a sealed document may contact "the filer, another party in the case, or the Clerk's Office to request a copy," the court said.