Judge: "John Doe" can't proceed anonymously. "People have a right to know who is using their courts"

Judge Kaplan denied the plaintiff's motion to proceed anonymously is denied.

He says the court must consider whether the plaintiff has a "substantial privacy interest" that outweighs any prejudice to the opposing party.

Confidentially disclosing the defendant's name to the defendants' counsel would not eliminate the potential prejudice, Kaplan says.

The court must consider "whether the public's interest in the litigation is furthered by requiring the plaintiff to disclose his identity" Judge: Public's interest is "magnified because [the plaintiff] has made his allegations against a public figure" The test is so vague that different plaintiffs' results vary sharply, as best I can tell.