{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-2","petitioner_identifier":"J.A.C.","is_minor":1,"age_at_vaccination":null,"age_unit_raw":"years (minor - age not in source, verified)","vaccine_type":null,"vaccination_date":null,"condition_raw":null,"condition_category":"other","autism_spectrum_adjacent":0,"outcome":"dismissed","award_amount_usd":null,"decision_date":"2025-04-29","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T00:28:29.402816+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":null,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":null,"theory_of_causation":"The underlying vaccine claim was dismissed in 2012 for insufficient proof. The subsequent proceedings and the April 29, 2025 decision by Judge Thompson M. Dietz concern J.A.C.'s motions to seal and redact case records, not the merits of the original vaccine injury claim. The court denied J.A.C.'s motion to seal all records, upholding the Chief Special Master's denial. The court reasoned that the Vaccine Act and the E-Government Act mandate public disclosure of court decisions, and that J.A.C.'s requests for sealing and redaction were untimely and, in some instances, moot because the decision was already in the public domain and beyond the court's control. Other case records were found to be already restricted to court personnel and parties, thus not subject to further sealing. No specific vaccine, vaccination date, or alleged injury was detailed in this decision, as the focus was on procedural matters related to record access and privacy.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2003-12-11","case_summary":"On December 11, 2003, J.A.C.'s mother filed a petition under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 on his behalf. On January 9, 2012, Chief Special Master Patricia E. Campbell-Smith dismissed the case for insufficient proof. The decision included a footnote stating that it would be posted on the Court of Federal Claims website in accordance with the E-Government Act of 2002, and that parties had 14 days to move for redaction of sensitive information. Neither party filed such a motion, and the decision was posted publicly. \n\nIn 2019, J.A.C., by then an adult, and his mother sought to remove the decision from the internet. Then-Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey granted their motion in part on June 17, 2019, noting that while the request was untimely, she would redact J.A.C.'s name from the case caption on the court's electronic filing system to reduce the chance of an internet search leading directly to the unredacted decision. She also acknowledged that J.A.C.'s mother had presented a compelling reason for redaction, fearing disruption to J.A.C.'s socialization and emotional health. However, CSM Dorsey stated that redacting the original decision was no longer a viable form of relief because it was already available on the internet and other legal research sites, beyond the court's control. \n\nJ.A.C. subsequently requested that CSM Dorsey not publish her June 17, 2019 order online or, alternatively, that his mother be referred to only by her initials, as he believed his identity could be triangulated from his mother's name. On August 5, 2019, CSM Dorsey granted this request in part, redacting his mother's name to initials in the public version of her order, as they shared the same last name. \n\nIn January 2020, J.A.C. filed a new complaint, asserting that the PDF file of the 2012 decision still contained his full last name in the filename and requested it be disabled or changed. On April 30, 2020, Special Master Dorsey denied this complaint, reiterating that the 2012 decision was in the public domain and no longer within the court's control. She also stated that the court was obligated by the Vaccine Act and the E-Government Act to make decisions publicly available and could not remove the decision from its website. \n\nOn August 19, 2024, J.A.C. moved to seal all records in his case, arguing that public access to them would harm his future professional prospects. On December 4, 2024, Chief Special Master Brian Corcoran denied this motion. J.A.C. then moved this Court for review of CSM Corcoran's decision. \n\nOn April 29, 2025, Judge Thompson M. Dietz issued an opinion and order denying J.A.C.'s motion for review and sustaining CSM Corcoran's decision. The court held that sealing the 2012 dismissal decision was not permissible under the Vaccine Act and the E-Government Act, which require public access to court opinions. The court also noted that motions for redaction must be filed within 14 days of a decision, and J.A.C.'s requests were untimely. Once a decision is on the public internet, it is no longer within the court's control. Regarding other case records, the court affirmed that they are already restricted to court personnel and parties under Vaccine Act section 12(d)(4)(A) and thus are not public, meaning there is nothing further to seal. The court also noted that J.A.C.'s concurrent letter to the Chief Judge alleging judicial misconduct was being handled separately.","is_minor_inferred":0,"is_pediatric_broad":1,"special_master":"Nora Beth Dorsey","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_firm":null,"petitioner_attorney_location":null,"adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":null,"attorney_canonical_keys":null,"firm_canonical_key":null,"package_title":"C. v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-0","title":"C. v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC ORDER/RULING (Originally filed: 8/5/2019) regarding 41 Order on Motion for Reconsideration. Signed by Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey. (fm) Service on parties made.","date_issued":"2019-09-09","pdf_url":null,"pdf_bytes":null,"triage_decision":"skip","triage_reason":"docketText matches skip keyword 'motion'","download_status":"skipped"},{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-1","title":"C. v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC ORDER/RULING (Originally filed: 04/30/2020) regarding 46 Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law Signed by Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey. (sw) Service on parties made; petitioner served via U.S. mail. (dls)","date_issued":"2020-06-03","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-1/pdf","pdf_bytes":994040,"triage_decision":"keep","triage_reason":"docketText matches keep keyword 'findings of fact'","download_status":"ok","registry_pdf_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/pdf/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807/USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-1"},{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_03-vv-02807-2","title":"C. v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"JUDGE VACCINE REPORTED OPINION (PUBLIC VERSION) of 64 Judge Vaccine Order/Opinion. Signed by Judge Thompson M. Dietz. (sbp) Service on parties made. Petitioner served via First Class mail on 5/1/2025. 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