Roe

Filed 11/21/

CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

JANE ROE et al., B344378

Plaintiffs and Respondents, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. 24STCV08102) v.

JENNA SMITH et al.,

Defendants;

FIRST AMENDMENT

COALITION,

Movant and Appellant.

APPEAL from an order of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Frank Tavelman, Judge. Reversed. First Amendment Clinic, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and Eugene Volokh, for Movant and Appellant. Hathaway & Parker and Mark M. Hathaway for Plaintiffs and Respondents. ____________________ Movant First Amendment Coalition (the Coalition) appeals the trial court’s order granting plaintiffs’ motion to proceed under pseudonyms. We conclude the trial court erred in its balancing of the public’s interest in court access. Accordingly, we reverse the order as to plaintiffs.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs, under the pseudonyms Jane Roe and John Doe, sued defendants, a daughter and mother, pseudonymously as Jenna Smith and Mother Smith. For ease of reference, we refer to each party by his or her pseudonymous first name. In…