General Orders of Division III

In Re The Matter of Victim Initials

THE COURT OF APPEALS OF WASHINGTON

     IN LIGHT OF the increased availability of court documents through electronic sources, the Court concludes that additional steps are required to protect the privacy interests of sexual assault victims and alleged victims. Accordingly, it is hereby

     ORDERED that in all pleadings, motions and briefs filed with this Court all parties shall use initials in place of the names of all victims and alleged victims of sexual assault, unless the victim's or alleged victim's name is already in the case caption. The parties or the court may address the case caption as provided in RAP 3.4.

     ORDERED unless otherwise ordered by the court, a record on appeal containing the name of a victim or alleged victim of sexual assault is not subject to redaction. However, if portions of the record are copied into a party’s brief or the appendix to the brief, the copied record shall be redacted so as to replace the victim's or alleged victim's name with initials.

     DATED this 22nd day of September, 2023. 

     FOR THE COURT 

     Chief Judge George B. Fearing, Division III