K.L.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 K.L., No. 2:25-cv-01763-CKD 12 Plaintiff, ORDER 13 v. 14 BEVERLY LODGE, et al., 15 Defendants. 16 17 Plaintiff filed this action under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act on 18 June 24, 2025, alleging she was subjected to sex trafficking at the Beverly Lodge motel, owned, 19 operated, and controlled by defendants. (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff has filed a motion to proceed by 20 the pseudonym “K.L.” in place of her true and correct name. (ECF No. 6.) For the reasons below, 21 plaintiff’s ex parte motion to proceed by pseudonym is GRANTED, subject to reconsideration 22 when defendants appear in this action. 23 I. Legal Standard 24 While the presumption in litigation is that parties must use their real names, courts permit 25 parties to proceed anonymously when special circumstances justify secrecy.1 Does I thru XXIII v. 26

27 1 This presumption is loosely related to the public’s right to open courts and the right of private 28 individuals to…