UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
IN RE: GOVERNMENT’S MOTION
TO REMOVE HIGHLY SENSITIVE
DOCUMENTS FROM CM/ECF Administrative Order No. 25-MS-078
____________________________/
Federal courts across the country were previously notified by the Administrative Office of
the U.S. Courts (AO) of cybersecurity breaches, first identified in 2021, and now most recently
identified in 2025, in the Case Management/Electronic Case Files system (CM/ECF). Following
this notification, the Court requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) identify and provide a list
of cases containing highly sensitive documents (HSDs).
Pursuant to the Court’s HSD policy outlined in Administrative Order 21-RL-001, the DOJ
provided a list of such cases to the Court. The Court will maintain this list in its records.
The DOJ has also filed the attached motion with the Court requesting that all cases and/or
documents on this list be removed from CM/ECF and stored outside of the electronic filing system.
Having received and reviewed this list, the Court finds good cause to require filing and
maintenance of all the cases and/or documents on this list outside of the Court’s electronic filing
system, pending deployment of additional security protocols by the AO. Accordingly,
IT IS ORDERED that the government’s motion is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Administrative Order shall serve as the omnibus
order applicable to all the cases listed by the government, in lieu of orders to be filed in each
individual case.
FOR THE COURT:
Dated: August 28, 2025
HALA Y. JARBOU
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN DIVISION
IN RE:
Hon. HALA Y. JARBOU
HIGHLY SENSITIVE Chief United States District Judge
DOCUMENTS
________________________________/
Government’s Motion to Remove
Highly Sensitive Documents from CM/ECF
In 2021, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts made Courts aware of
policy changes regarding highly sensitive documents (HSDs). (See Western District
of Michigan U.S. District Court Administrative Order 21-RL-001 1.) The policy
required the filing and maintenance of certain HSDs outside of the Court’s electronic
filing system (also referred to as CM/ECF) because of widespread cybersecurity
breaches. HSDs include “documents a party has moved to seal that contain highly
sensitive information, defined as information that could be readily used to harm or
compromise the interests of the United States.” Id. Relevant factors include “whether
the case involves matters of national security, foreign sovereign interests, or cyber
security; the extent of domestic or international interests; the involvement of public
officials; or the reputational interests of the United States or its agencies.” (Id.)
Recently, heightened concerns about the cybersecurity breaches of CM/ECF
led the government to reconsider which matters should be removed from CM/ECF
and stored outside of that electronic filing system. Consistent with guidance it
1 Found at https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/sites/miwd/files/Admin%20Order%2021-RL-
001.pdf, last accessed 8/19/2025.
received from the Department of Justice and the Court, the government identified
HSDs and sent a list of such items securely to the Clerk’s Office for the Western
District of Michigan. The government hereby requests that these items be removed
from CM/ECF. A proposed order is attached.
Respectfully submitted,
TIMOTHY VERHEY
United States Attorney
Date: August 19, 2025 /s/ Alexis M. Sanford
ALEXIS M. SANFORD
Assistant United States Attorney
P.O. Box 208
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0208
(616) 456-2404
[email protected]
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