USA v. Flores

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA
United States of America,
Plaintiff,
v.
Nitzana Belle Flores,
Defendant.
Case No. 26-mj-57 (PAM/DJF)
ORDER
In response to the Court’s Order (ECF No. 41), the Government filed a brief arguing its
reasons why Defendant’s Motion for Disclosure Pursuant to Rule 6(e) (ECF No. 29) should be
denied. (ECF No. 42.) The Government’s response contains pure legal argument and discloses no
information about the grand jury proceedings in this case or whether it was presented to a grand jury
at all. Though the Government’s brief contains no information that is even arguably subject to
confidentiality or secrecy, the Government filed its brief ex parte. Ex parte submissions to the Court
are permitted only if justified by some ground for confidentiality or secrecy; they are not meant to be
a method for the Government to deprive defendants and the public from examining the
Government’s legal arguments. See In re Grand Jury Proceedings Relative to Perl, 838 F.2d 304,
306 (8th Cir. 1988) (“The policy of secrecy surrounding grand jury proceedings … is designed to
protect from disclosure only the essence of what takes place in the grand jury room.”). Submitting
this filing to the Court ex parte is therefore entirely inappropriate, and the Court directs the Clerk of
Court to UNSEAL the Government’s brief (ECF No. 42).
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: April 24, 2026 	s/ Dulce J. Foster
Dulce J. Foster
United States Magistrate Judge
CASE 0:26-mj-00057-PAM-DJF Doc. 43 Filed 04/24/26 Page 1 of 1