FILED
Sep 25 2025
United States District Court
Northern District of Ohio
General Order
GENERAL ORDER NO. 2025-19
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
)
IN RE: )
PROCEDURES FOR ACCESS AND ) ORDER NO. 2025-19
MANAGEMENT OF SEALED )
DOCUMENTS )
)
WHEREAS a recent escalation in cyberattacks on the CM/ECF systems of
federal courts required the implementation of new procedures for the storage and
management of sealed documents; and
WHEREAS the Court established a procedure for the filing of certain sensitive
documents (SDs), see Amended General Order No. 2025-16-2; and
WHEREAS a new procedure for the storage of sealed documents has now been
implemented;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, effective as of the date of this order and until
such time as the Court orders otherwise,
1. Electronic Access to Sealed Documents. Sealed documents,
including sensitive documents as defined in Amended General Order
No. 2025-16-2, 1 will be filed in CM/ECF, but the sealed documents will
no longer be accessible or viewable by electronic means.
2. Service of Sealed Documents Filed in CM/ECF. Because sealed
documents filed in CM/ECF are no longer accessible or viewable
electronically, service of those documents can no longer be accomplished
through CM/ECF. Parties will have to serve sealed documents by other
appropriate means as provided by the Federal Rules of Procedure. (See
1 General Order No. 2025-16 and its amendments are hereby vacated, and the Clerk of Court is
instructed to file forthwith all documents that were filed pursuant to that Order or its amendments in the
CM/ECF system.
Fed. R. Civ. P. 5 and Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.) The Court will serve court-
issued sealed documents by secure electronic means to attorneys of
record and self-represented parties granted CM/ECF privileges. Self-
represented parties not granted CM/ECF privileges will be served with a
paper copy by mail. Upon filing a pretrial services report or first disclosure
or final presentence report, the U.S. Pretrial Services and Probation Office
will concurrently provide a copy of the report to the attorneys of record and
self-represented parties granted CM/ECF privileges by secure electronic
means (to the email address registered in their CM/ECF account) or by
mail to a self-represented defendant. The date and type of service of
documents and reports provided to parties by the Court or the U.S. Pretrial
and Probation Office under this provision will be noted on the docket.
3. Additional Copies of Sealed Documents. Because sealed documents
filed in CM/ECF are no longer accessible or viewable electronically, a
party with the right to access a sealed document in a case who requires a
copy of a sealed document will have to contact the Clerk’s Office to
request a copy. After confirming that the party making the request has
permission to access the document, the Clerk’s Office will provide the
document by secure electronic means to a party’s registered CM/ECF
email address. Otherwise, if the party does not have a CM/ECF account,
the copy will be provided in paper by mail. Applicable copy fees will be
applied to requests satisfied by providing paper copies by mail.
4. Highly Sensitive Documents (HSDs). Sensitive documents that are
defined as HSDs are not covered by this Order and will continue to be
subject to the Court’s HSD procedures in Amended General Order
No. 2024-07-1.
5. Questions about Sealed Document Procedures. Any questions about
the filing of and access to sealed documents should be directed to the
Clerk’s Office at 1-800-355-8498.
This Order supersedes any and all inconsistent prior court orders, CM/ECF
procedure manuals, and local rules.
IT IS SO ORDERED, this 25th day of September, 2025.
FOR THE COURT
Sara Lioi
Chief Judge
