S.C. Supreme Court issues guidance on personal data identifiers in appellate filings

In an effort to protect privacy of material filed in the appellate courts, the Supreme Court has issued this order. The gist is as follows:

Parties shall not include, or will partially redact where inclusion is necessary, the following personal data identifiers from documents filed with an appellate court:

1. Social Security Numbers. If a social security number must be included, only the last four digits of that number should be used.

2. Names of Minor Children. If a minor is the victim of a sexual assault or is involved in an abuse or neglect case, the minor's name will be completely redacted and a term such as "victim" or "child" should be used. In all other cases, only the minor's first name and first initial of the last name (i.e., John S.) should be used.

3. Financial Account Numbers. If financial account numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of these numbers should be used.

4. Home Addresses. If a home address must be included, only the city and state should be used.