“It is clear that the courts of this country recognize a general right to inspect and copy public records and documents, including judicial records and documents.”
How later courts described this case
- “It is clear that the courts of this country recognize a general right to inspect and copy public records and documents, including judicial records and documents.”
- explaining that unless a party can show “extraordinary circumstances,” a court file must remain accessible to the public
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
OCALA DIVISION
NCEBAKAZI NTONI,
Plaintiff,
v. Case No: 5:25-cv-539-JLB-PRL
DELVA MONIQUE
CHARLEMAGNE,
Defendant.
ORDER
This cause comes before the Court on Plaintiff’s Motion to Protect Plaintiff’s
Residential Address filed on August 27, 2025. (Doc. 3). Plaintiff Ncebakazi Ntoni, appearing
pro se, requests that her residential address be kept confidential in this matter due to “threats
and harassment from parties connected to Defendant” and that “[d]isclosure of her residential
address would place her and her [19-month-old] child at risk of harm or intimidation.” (Id. at
p. 1). Since the filing of the motion, Plaintiff has submitted a Notice of Change of Address
advising the Court in writing of an alternate mailing address she wishes to use in this case.
(Doc. 7). Upon review, Plaintiff’s motion is due to be denied as moot.
I. LEGAL STANDARDS
As an initial matter, this Court requires that all pleadings and papers submitted for the
Court’s consideration must be filed through the clerk’s office and in the form of a pleading, a
motion, or a notice. (Doc. 5); see M.D. Fla. Local Rule 3.01(k) (stating that “[a] party must
not use a letter, email, or the like to request relief”). Local Rule 1.11 governs the sealing of
items in a civil action in this district. See generally M.D. Fla. Local Rule 1.11. Moreover, the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require all pleadings and papers filed with the Court to
include a mailing address, among other information. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a) (stating that
even if a party is unrepresented, “[t]he paper must state the signer’s address, e-mail address,
and telephone number”); (Doc. 5 at pp. 3-4) (explaining that a pro se plaintiff must provide
and maintain an address where he or she will receive notices and orders). Neither the Local
Rules nor the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permit a party to prosecute a case before the
Court without providing contact information, including an address.
Indeed, it has long been established that the public has a common law right to access
judicial proceedings, including the right to inspect and copy public records and court
documents. See Chicago Trib. Co. v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 263 F.3d 1304, 1311 (11th Cir.
2001) (per curiam); see also Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 (1978) (“It is
clear that the courts of this country recognize a general right to inspect and copy public records
and documents, including judicial records and documents.”) (internal footnotes omitted).
“Material filed in connection with any substantive pretrial motion, unrelated to discovery, is
subject to the common law right of access” to judicial proceedings. See Romero v. Drummond
Co., Inc., 480 F.3d 1234, 1245 (11th Cir. 2007) (citations omitted). This common law right “is
instrumental in securing the integrity of the [judicial] process.” See Chicago Trib. Co., 263 F.3d
at 1311 (citation omitted). “Once a matter is brought before a court for resolution, it is no
longer solely the parties’ case, but also the public’s case.” See Brown v. Advantage Eng’g, Inc.,
960 F.2d 1013, 1016 (11th Cir. 1992).
However, “[t]he common law right of access may be overcome by a showing of good
cause, which requires ‘balanc[ing] the asserted right of access against the other party’s interest
in keeping the information confidential.’” See Romero, 480 F.3d at 1246 (quoting Chicago Trib.
Co., 263 F.3d at 1309); see also Brown, 960 F.2d at 1016 (explaining that unless a party can
show “extraordinary circumstances,” a court file must remain accessible to the public); Doe v.
Neighborhood Rest. Partners, No. 8:22-cv-2483-TPB-CPT, 2022 WL 17360654, at *1 (M.D. Fla.
Dec. 1, 2022) (“[A] party requesting to seal any portion of a judicial record bears [a] heavy
burden of showing that the material is the kind of information that courts will protect.”)
(citation and internal quotation marks omitted).
II. DISCUSSION
As a threshold matter, Plaintiff’s motion does not comply with the procedural
requirements of Local Rule 1.11(c). See M.D. Fla. Local Rule 1.11(c) (listing the requirements
for a motion to seal an item). Aside from such procedural deficiencies, Plaintiff has not shown
good cause or demonstrated that extraordinary circumstances exist in this case that would
require the Court to seal her address. See Warren v. DeKalb Cnty. Sch., No. 1:18-cv-02310, 2019
WL 11508448, at *2 (N.D. Ga. May 17, 2019) (finding that the plaintiff did not show
extraordinary circumstances that would require the court to seal her address or phone
number).
Nonetheless, Plaintiff filed a Notice of Change of Address on August 29, 2025,
providing an alternate mailing address located at 605 West Silver Springs Place, Ocala,
Florida 34475 (Doc. 7), which is where she seeks to receive notices and orders from the Court
in connection with this case. Because Plaintiff has advised the Court in writing of this change
in her mailing address, which is now properly reflected on the docket, Plaintiff’s request to
seal her residential address is denied as moot.
Plaintiff is further advised that the Court entered an Order for Pro Se Litigants on
August 27, 2025, highlighting some of the commonly applicable rules that pro se litigants must
follow, including change of addresses and rules and responsibilities for redaction. (See Doc.
5). While Plaintiff is proceeding pro se, she is reminded that she is still required to comply with
this Court’s Local Rules, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Federal Rules of
Evidence. Plaintiff may obtain a copy of the Local Rules from the Court’s website
(http://www.flmd.uscourts.gov) or by visiting the Office of the Clerk of Court. Additionally,
resources and information related to proceeding in court without a lawyer, including a
handbook entitled “Guide for Proceeding Without a Lawyer,” can be located on the Court’s
website (http://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/pro_se/default.htm).
Il. CONCLUSION
Accordingly, it is ORDERED as follows:
(1) Plaintiffs Motion to Protect Plaintiff's Residential Address (Doc. 3) is DENIED
as moot.
(2) The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Order to Plaintiff at both her former
address and the new address provided in the Notice of Change of Address (Doc.
7) located at 605 West Silver Springs Place, Ocala, Florida 34475. All papers in
this case should be sent to Plaintiff at 605 West Silver Springs Place, Ocala, Florida
34475.
DONE and ORDERED in Ocala, Florida on September 3, 2025.
oor
(osensans
PHILIP R. LAMMENS
United States Magistrate Judge
Copies furnished to:
Counsel of Record
Unrepresented Parties
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