UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
IN THE MATTER OF: )
PRESENTATION OF CONTAMINATED )
MATERIALS FOR FILING )
ORDER
Documents submitted to the Clerk for filing with this Court must not be
contaminated or tainted with any substances that are or could reasonably be believed to
be a bodily fluid or other biohazard. In addition to the health risks that contaminated
materials could pose to Court personnel, pursuant to the federally-mandated Occupant
Emergency Plan that applies to Court facilities, the Court’s receipt of such materials may
require the attention of law enforcement and public health authorities including, but not
limited to, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Protective Service, and local
law enforcement and emergency responders. Submission of such materials to the Court
could threaten the safety of Court staff, and unnecessarily wastes the valuable and limited
resources that are available to the judiciary and to public safety agencies while perceived
threats are investigated and cleared. The Court has determined that such documents are
unacceptable and should not be accepted for filing.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Clerk, Deputy Clerks, and other
Court staff will reject materials of any kind that are submitted for filing but which are or
are reasonably believed to be contaminated or tainted with blood, any other bodily fluid,
or other biohazardous matter. If reasonably possible, any such materials will be returned,
unfiled. When return of the materials would unjustifiably expose Court staff to potential
harm, such materials will be delivered to the United States Marshals Service for
appropriate disposition, which may include destruction.
SO ORDERED this 6th day of March, 2018.
For the Court,
________________________________________
JANE E. MAGNUS-STINSON, CHIEF JUDGE
United States District Court
