The Sealed Juvenile Record: Three Requests for Access
You report a juvenile delinquency hearing in Canyon County involving a 15-year-old charged with burglary. The hearing includes testimony from a 13-year-old victim whose name and school are read into the record. At the end, the judge says, "This record is sealed." Three days later: (1) a paralegal from a civil law firm calls and asks for the transcript because the juvenile witnessed a car accident; (2) the juvenile's mother asks for a copy and says she has a right as a parent; (3) the prosecutor emails asking you to "redact the victim's name from your notes and audio before you file the transcript." Your office keeps audio for 90 days and notes under a retention schedule. The transcript has not yet been filed with the clerk.
1. May you release the transcript to the civil paralegal?
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No. Juvenile records are confidential under Idaho law and court rules, and the judge has sealed this record. A caller's stated reason-that the juvenile witnessed a car accident-does not create an exception. You should not confirm or deny what was said, identify the parties, or describe the hearing. Explain that you cannot release juvenile records and refer the caller to the clerk of the court or to the court that entered the sealing order. If the firm serves a subpoena, do not comply unilaterally; notify the court and, if appropriate, your supervisor or legal counsel, and preserve the records pending a court order. The reporter's duty is to protect the confidentiality of the record, not to evaluate the merits of the requester's need.
2. How should you respond to the juvenile's mother?
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Acknowledge her request courteously but do not hand over a copy on your own authority. Parents are often parties in juvenile proceedings, but the sealed record and the court's confidentiality rules control access, and the reporter is not the custodian authorized to decide who qualifies. Direct her to the clerk's office or to the juvenile court, which can determine her right of access and provide a certified copy if appropriate. Do not show her your notes or play the audio in your possession. If the court orders release to her, follow the order and document it. This approach respects both her parental interest and the sealing order; it also avoids the appearance that the reporter is choosing sides in a sensitive family matter.
3. What should you do about the prosecutor's request to redact the victim's name from your notes and audio?
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Do not alter or destroy the original notes or audio. The original record must be preserved, especially when a sealing order exists; unilateral redaction could be viewed as alteration of evidence. You may tell the prosecutor that you cannot change the source record, but that the court can order a redacted or sealed version of the transcript for public filing. If the court enters such an order, produce the transcript in the form ordered while retaining the complete original under seal or in a secure file. Document the request and the order in your file. If the concern is immediate protection of a minor victim, the proper route is an on-the-record request to the judge, not an off-the-record edit by the reporter. Confidentiality is protected by lawful process, not by private alteration.