***Court Operations During Lapse in Funding***

Due to a lapse in funding, the Federal Government has entered a "shutdown" posture.  During this lapse in funding the United States District Court and the Clerk's Office of the Court will remain open, and all case-related court operations will continue as scheduled. The Court will regularly assess operations as the shutdown continues and any changes will be posted here.

Electronic Access to Sealed Documents and Service of Sealed Documents

 The Administrative Office (AO) is implementing a new Sealed Document Security (SDS) system to address identified security vulnerabilities and strengthen the protection of restricted filings in CM/ECF. This change is scheduled to take effect today, September 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (MST), pending successful completion of final AO testing. Under the SDS program, all newly filed restricted documents (Sealed, Applicable Party, Ex Parte, or Case Participant) will be stored in a more secure electronic file storage (EFS) system. In addition, the system will begin transferring all previously filed restricted documents from CM/ECF to the alternate EFS.

 The Court anticipates the issuance of an Administrative Order, to be entered upon confirmation of SDS operational readiness. The Order will remove electronic access to restricted and sealed documents. Once entered, restricted and sealed documents will continue to be filed in CM/ECF under existing procedures; however, they will no longer be accessible or served electronically. Service must be effected by means other than CM/ECF, consistent with the Federal Rules of Procedure. The Court will serve its restricted and sealed documents in paper by mail, until further notice.

 Parties authorized to access a restricted or sealed document may obtain a paper copy by contacting the Records Department at records@nmd.uscourts.gov.

 For more information and a copy of the administrative order, visit https://www.nmd.uscourts.gov/.   Should you have any questions about these procedures, please contact the Clerk's Office by email at NMDdb_CMECF Helpdesk cmecf@nmd.uscourts.gov or by phone at 505-348-2075.