Transgender Applicant’s Name Change Application May Be Filed Under Seal
So held the New Jersey Appellate Division last week in In the Matter of Application of T.I.C.-C. to Assume the Name of A.B.C.-C. (by Judge Michael Haas, joined by Judges Hany Mawla and Stephanie Ann Mitterhoff):
Appellant A.B.C.-C. is a transgender man who sought to change his name to conform his identification documents with his gender identity. As part of his application, appellant submitted evidence showing transgender people are subject to a particularized threat to their safety based upon their identity, and asked that the record of his name change be sealed to protect him from such discrimination and violence. The trial court denied appellant’s request. Having considered the issues appellant presents in light of the applicable law, we are satisfied he demonstrated good cause to seal the record. Therefore, we reverse the trial court’s denial of appellant’s motion, order that the record be sealed, and remand for any necessary further proceedings….
[W]e are satisfied appellant established good cause to seal the record of his name change application. First, the record amply supports a conclusion that “disclosure will likely cause a clearly defined and serious injury” to appellant. Second, the re
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