[Part VI.]  ANONYMOUS FILINGS

     [§634‑71]  Anonymous filings.  (a)  Upon petition to a court under this section, the court may allow a petition, complaint, motion, or other document to be filed by a party identifying the parties as "jane doe" or "john doe"; provided that when deciding to permit a "jane doe" or "john doe" filing, the court may consider factors including:

     (1)  The severity of the petitioner's injury;

     (2)  The reasonableness of the petitioner's fears of reprisal;

     (3)  The petitioner's vulnerability to retaliation from the action;

     (4)  The risk of prejudice to the other party; and

     (5)  Whether the public interest would be served by allowing the petitioner to remain anonymous.

     (b)  If there are compelling reasons sufficient to outweigh the public interest in the disclosure of the parties and it is the belief of the court that the parties' court files may become a vehicle for improper use if not made anonymous, the court may seal from the public all documents or portions of documents, including all subsequently filed documents, that would identify the parties or contain sufficient information from which the parties' identity could be discerned or inferred. [L 2011, c 225, §1]