10 canonical passages across 5 cases, quoted by 329 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from In Re the Knight Publishing Company D/B/A the Charlotte Observer.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In Re the Knight Publishing Company D/B/A the Charlotte Observer Anchor | green | “whether the records are sought for improper purposes, such as promoting public scandals or unfairly gaining a business advantage; whether release would enhance the public's understanding of an important historical event; and whether the public has already had access to the infor…” | 56 |
| 2 | Virginia Department Of State Police v. The Washington Post | green | “must comply with certain substantive and procedural requirements.” | 51 |
| 3 | Virginia Department Of State Police v. The Washington Post | green | “as to the substance, the district court first must determine the source of the right of access with respect to each document, because only then can it accurately weigh the competing interests at stake.” | 47 |
| 4 | Virginia Department Of State Police v. The Washington Post | green | “consider less drastic alternatives to sealing” | 47 |
| 5 | In Re the Knight Publishing Company D/B/A the Charlotte Observer | green | “if the public's right of access is outweighed by competing interests.” | 32 |
| 6 | Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia | green | “historically both civil and criminal trials have been presumptively open.” | 24 |
| 7 | Greg Rushford, the Washington Post Company, Intervenor v. The New Yorker Magazine, Inc., and William Shawn Reneta Adler | green | “countervailing interests heavily outweigh the public interests in access.” | 24 |
| 8 | Greg Rushford, the Washington Post Company, Intervenor v. The New Yorker Magazine, Inc., and William Shawn Reneta Adler | green | “the party seeking to overcome the presumption bears the burden of showing some significant interest that outweighs the presumption.” | 20 |
| 9 | United States v. Appelbaum | green | “play a role in the adjudicative process, or adjudicate substantive rights.” | 17 |
| 10 | United States v. Appelbaum | green | “documents filed with the court are 'judicial records' if they play a role in the adjudicative process, or adjudicate substantive rights.” | 11 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.