UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
for the
District of Alaska
In the Matter of
MISCELLANEOUS
ENCRYPTED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS GENERAL ORDER
PROVIDED TO THE UNITED STATES NO. 20-02
DISTRICT COURT, DISTRICT OF ALASKA
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
The proliferation of encryption technologies has resulted in the utilization of wide-ranging
software programs designed to encrypt and de-encrypt electronic media. As those software programs are
not always compatible with one another, this Court cannot reasonably be assured that it or those litigants
appearing before it will possess the appropriate software necessary to view and review encrypted
materials. As this Court must assure that it and those who appear before it have access to all discovery,
documents, pleadings, and other electronic materials to which they are entitled, and in order to assure that
such access may continue:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that all discovery, documents, pleadings, and other electronic
materials contained on removable media which are filed with or presented to the court must not be
encrypted; and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that any email messages sent to the Court, Clerk’s Office, or the
U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, must not be encrypted, unless the sender obtained permission
in advance from the intended recipient of the encrypted message.
SO ORDERED.
DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 21st day of January, 2020.
/s/ Timothy M. Burgess
TIMOTHY M. BURGESS, Chief Judge
United States District Court
/s/ Sharon L. Gleason
SHARON L. GLEASON, Judge
United States District Court
Distribution:
District Judges Magistrate Judges
Clerk of Court Court Rules Attorney
Librarian U.S. Attorney
Federal Public Defender U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services
Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court Bankruptcy Judge
