What specific documents are sealed or unavailable from the Brooklyn Supreme Court docket in People v. Ogun/Usha (1987–1988) and how can researchers request them?
Executive summary
A targeted search of the sources provided turns up no public inventory naming which specific filings in People v. Ogun/Usha (Kings County Supreme Court, 1987–1988) are sealed or unavailable; therefore this report explains the documented pathways researchers must use to discover and, where permissible, request access to sealed Brooklyn Supreme Court materials and the legal mechanisms for unsealing as reflected in New York court practice [1] [2]. The sources describe how to search New York’s electronic systems, how county clerks custody physical files, and under what standard a judge may order materials sealed—but none of the supplied material catalogs sealed items for that particular 1987–88 docket [3] [4] [2].
1. What the question actually asks and what the record sources show
The user seeks two discrete facts: a list of specific sealed/unavailable documents in the Brooklyn Supreme Court docket for People v. Ogun/Usha (1987–1988), and the procedural steps a researcher should take to request them; the available reporting and official guidance do not enumerate any sealed documents tied to that case, so there is no sourced basis here to assert that specific filings are sealed or to name them [3] [1].
2. How to check whether documents are available online first
New York State’s electronic services are the logical first stop: WebCivil/eCourts and the NYSCEF guest search allow searching by index number, party name, or attorney and will display e-filed papers except for those sealed by court order—so searching the appropriate Brooklyn/Kings index or party entry is the documented first step to surface what is publicly available [3] [1] [4] [5].
3. Where physical case files are kept and who controls access
County clerks maintain the official Supreme Court case files and the clerk’s record room is the public custodian of paper filings; the County Clerk’s office guidance explains that files (other than certain older or electronic files) are kept on-site and are subject to inspection unless sealed by judicial order, and that a Justice may order a file or portion sealed upon an adequate showing such as trade secrets or other protected interests [2].
4. Practical steps to request copies or a docket search from the clerk
Procedurally, researchers should identify the case’s index number and then submit a written records or search request to the Kings County/County Clerk or the Bronx/Manhattan County Clerk procedures described in the official pages; some clerk offices require written requests with a self-addressed stamped envelope and charge statutory fees for certified copies (the Bronx Records Search page specifies written requests and self-addressed envelopes and fees for certified copies), and county clerk guidance confirms anyone may examine case files in the record room unless sealed [6] [2].
5. If a file or document is sealed: how access or unsealing typically works
The sources state a court may seal files or parts thereof by judicial order when an adequate showing is made (for example, to protect trade secrets); where documents are sealed, the clerk will not make them available publicly absent a court order—thus researchers seeking sealed materials generally must petition the court for unsealing or obtain a judge’s permission, following local rules for motions to unseal or for access [2] [1].
6. Limitations in the reporting and recommended next moves for this particular 1987–88 docket
None of the provided documents or search snippets contains a docket listing, clerk’s inventory, or a sealed-items index specific to People v. Ogun/Usha (1987–1988); therefore the only verifiable advice from the sources is procedural: search WebCivil/NYSCEF and eCourts by index/party [4] [3], if the online record is incomplete, submit a written search/copies request to the Kings County Clerk per the county procedures (include self-addressed stamped envelope and payment where required) [6] [2], and if the clerk reports that items are sealed, prepare to file a motion in the Supreme Court seeking unsealing under the standards described for judicial sealing [2].
7. What researchers should expect and potential obstacles
Researchers should expect that older paper files may be archived, incompletely digitized, or require an in-person inspection; sealed items will not be released by clerks without court directives, and the sources do not provide any shortcut or central public index of historic sealed dockets—meaning discovery of the actual sealed documents for this case will require persistence across the eCourts search, clerk correspondence, and, if necessary, formal motion practice [3] [2] [4].