What are the changes to court rules GR 15 and GR 22 that the Washington Supreme Court approved?
Amendments to GR 15 establish clear guidelines for judges to follow when sealing court records, including a requirement for judges to identify in writing the compelling privacy or safety concern that outweighs the public interest. The rule also advises that parties wishes for secrecy does not by itself justify sealing records, and that preference should be made to redact (black out) specific information from a court record rather than sealing an entire document.
GR 22 amendments include the addition of guardianship cases under Title 11 (Probate and Trust), Chapter 73.36 RCW (Veterans) and Chapter 74.34 (Vulnerable Adults) to the types of family law cases covered within the rule.
The Washington State Court Rules page of the Washington Courts Web site includes links to all the Court Rules, including:
- GR 15 - Destruction, Sealing, and Redaction of Court Records.
- GR 22 - Access to Family Law and Guardianship Court Records.
RN id: 1516