James Carroll, Appellant, v. Southwestern Bell Corporation; Southwestern Bell Telephonecompany; Sickness and Accident Disability Benefits Plan,medical Plan; Group Life Insurance Plan; the Benefit Plancommittee of the Sickness and Accident Disability Benefitsplan; the Employee Benefit Committee of the Pension Plan, Appellees, 982 F.2d 1255 (8th Cir. 1993)

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US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit - 982 F.2d 1255 (8th Cir. 1993) Jan. 11, 1993

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Appellant's motion to seal his opening brief on appeal and Volumes I and IV of his appendix is granted.

JOHN R. GIBSON, dissenting.

I respectfully dissent.

This case involves a dispute over attorneys' fees in an ERISA claim that was settled. All of the settlement papers in the ERISA claim were sealed by the district court.

I feel strongly that the business of the courts is public business. I would require the parties to air their dispute in public. This case does not involve trade secrets, just a desire to keep the terms of a settlement secret. This the parties may do, but when they ask the court's blessing, they ask too much. I have serious concerns about propriety of the district court order sealing the terms of the settlement. This court should not perpetuate this ruling.

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