Question
I am trying to proceed (pro se) anonymously in a lawsuit that is going to take place in a foreign state. Were the state more familiar to me, or were I to make usage of the Federal court, this would be a bit easier. However, I will be filing in CA. What I want to know is if you know the location of any ”example motions.” Specifically, I wanted to ”motion to proceed anonymously.” I also will be proceeding in forma pauperis. One more thing, do you have access to a sample protective order restricting access to information?
Again, were this in the state I was from or Federal court, I wouldn’t have too much of a problem. For somewhat tactical reasons, however, I am going to attempt the trial in CA before thinking about changing venue.
Answer
You may be able to find forms related to proceeding anonymously and restricting access to information in California’s state courts through the official court website at http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp.htm and http://www.courts.ca.gov/forms.htm. In addition, the Rules of Court are available at http://www.courts.ca.gov/rules.htm.
Bryan Cave, LLP is general counsel for the First Amendment Coalition and responds to First Amendment Coalition hotline inquiries. In responding to these inquiries, we can give general information regarding open government and speech issues but cannot provide specific legal advice or representation.
Asked & Answered posts should not be relied on as legal advice, and FAC makes no guarantees about their completeness or accuracy. All posts carry a date of publication that readers should take note of in assessing their usefulness, given that laws and interpretations of them may change over time. Posts predating Jan. 1, 2023, that discuss the California Public Records Act may contain statute numbers no longer in use. Please see this page for a table showing how the California Public Records Act has been renumbered.