FOIA Activity: 15 New Procedural or Substantive Decisions

We have added 15 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between March 3, 2019 and March 9, 2019. These are associated with 14 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.

Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.

1. CAN 3:2018cv01016 — Rivera v. United States

   • March 7, 2019: ORDER DISMISSING CASE WITH PREJUDICE. Signed by Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson on 3/7/2019. (rmm2S, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 3/7/2019)
2. CAN 3:2018cv01979 — American Small Business League v. Department of Defense

   • March 8, 2019: ORDER ON [44] [ 47 CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. Signed by Judge William Alsup. (whalc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 3/8/2019)
3. CAN 4:2018cv02414 — The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) v. Department of Labor

   • March 4, 2019: ORDER ADMINISTRATIVELY CLOSING CASE, ***Civil Case Terminated. Signed by Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu on 3/4/2019. (dmrlc1, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 3/4/2019)
4. DC 1:2001cv01872 — MCGEHEE v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

   • March 4, 2019: MEMORANDUM AND OPINION. See attached document for details. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 3/4/19.
5. DC 1:2015cv00431 — NEW ORLEANS WORKERS' CENTER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE et al v. UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT

   • March 4, 2019: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Reggie B. Walton on March 4, 2019. (lcrbw3)
6. DC 1:2018cv00377 — CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON v. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

   • March 5, 2019: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER denying Defendant's motion for summary judgment with respect to the Findings and Determination document. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 3/5/2019. (lccrc2)
7. FLN 3:2017cv00679 — SARTORI v. UNITED STATES ARMY

   • March 9, 2019: ORDER. The Rule 72(a) Objection, ECF No. [41] , is SUSTAINED. Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment as to Counts I-III and to Dismiss as to Count IV, see ECF No. [30] , is DENIED without prejudice with leave to refile with in 45 days together with a Vaughn index consistent with this Order. Count V of Plaintiff's Amended Complaint is DISMISSED. Plaintiff has 14 days after Defendant refiles its motion for summary judgment to file a response. Signed by JUDGE M CASEY RODGERS on 03/09/2019. (Hay, Eugene) Modified on 3/11/2019 to edit docket text (sdw).
8. MA 4:2017cv40099 — Niro et al v. United States et al

   • March 8, 2019: District Judge Timothy S. Hillman: MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER entered granting [24] Motion for Summary Judgment. (Castles, Martin)
9. MD 1:2018cv00201 — Cochran v. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

   • March 5, 2019: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Ellen L. Hollander on 3/5/2019. (c/m 3/5/19 bmhs, Deputy Clerk)
10. NM 2:2016cv00506 — Beagles v. Watkins et al

    • March 7, 2019: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER by District Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales denying [34] Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment; and granting [35] Defendant's Cross Motion for Summary Judgment. (tah)
    • March 7, 2019: FINAL JUDGMENT by District Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales. (tah)
11. NYS 1:2016cv07140 — Charles Seife v. U.S. Department of State

    • March 6, 2019: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER re: [48] MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by U.S. Department of State, [52] CROSS MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Charles Seife. For the reasons stated above, Plaintiffs motion for sum mary judgment is DENIED, and the State Department's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. For the avoidance of doubt, the Court provides the following summary of the outcome of Defendant's motion for summary judgment: REQUEST F-2014-12997: Summary judgment is granted in favor of the State Department as to the search for State-Department produced transcripts, and denied as to the search for non-State-Department-Produced-Transcripts. Exemption 5: Summar y judgment is granted in favor of the State Department as to all applications of Exemption 5 in the Revised Vaughn Index, except for Categories 5 (subject to footnote nine, above), 13, and 18 for which summary judgment is denied. Exemption 6: Summ ary judgment is granted in favor of the State Department, except as to the individual discussed in footnote four of the Fourth Declaration of Eric F. Stein. The remaining issues are discrete, and the Court expects that they may be resolved by conf erral amongst the parties. The Court directs the parties to so confer, and to submit a joint status letter to the Court describing what, if any, issues remain in this case no later than three weeks following the date of this opinion and order. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate the motions pending at docket numbers 48 and 52. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Gregory H. Woods on 3/6/2019) (anc)
12. NYS 1:2017cv05814 — Gizmodo Media Group, LLC v. Federal Bureau Of Investigation

    • March 5, 2019: OPINION AND ORDER re: [18] MOTION for Summary Judgment. filed by Gizmodo Media Group, LLC, [14] MOTION for Summary Judgment. filed by Federal Bureau Of Investigation. For the reasons set forth above, the FBI's motio n for summary judgment is GRANTED and Gizmodo's motion for summary judgment is DENIED. The Clerk of the Court is respectfully directed to terminate the motions, Docs. 14, 18, and close the case. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Edgardo Ramos on 3/5/20.19) (kv) Transmission to Orders and Judgments Clerk for processing.
13. NYS 1:2017cv06978 — McLean v. Social Security Administration

    • March 6, 2019: MEMO ENDORSED ORDER ADOPTING REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION for [48] Report and Recommendation. ENDORSEMENT: No objection having been filed to this report and the time for filing has passed. After review, the Court adopts the Report as its opinion, fo llows the Recommendation and grants the SSA's motion. Enter judgment dismissing case. (Signed by Judge Colleen McMahon on 3/6/2019) (mml) Transmission to Orders and Judgments Clerk for processing. (Main Document 51 replaced on 3/6/2019) (mml).
14. WAW 2:2018cv01789 — Moujtahid et al v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services et al

    • March 5, 2019: ORDER releasing parties from the initial disclosure requirements of Rule 26(a)(1), as well as the requirements of Rule 26(f), requiring the parties to prepare a discovery plan per [22] Stipulation. Joint Status Report due by 4/29/2019. Signed by Judge Ricardo S. Martinez. (PM)