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Case TitleDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION v. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv02302
Date Filed2018-10-05
Date Closed2019-06-26
JudgeJudge Rudolph Contreras
PlaintiffDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION
Case DescriptionDemocracy Forward Foundation submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce for records concerning policies affecting the 2020 Census. DFF also requested a fee waiver. Both agencies acknowledged receipt of the requests. DOC asked DFF to identify the offices it thought would have responsive records, DFF did so. Several DOJ components also acknowledged receipt of the request, but after hearing nothing further from either agency, DFF filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantDEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DefendantDEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2018-10-051COMPLAINT against ALL DEFENDANTS ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5724175) filed by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons)(Thurston, Robin) (Entered: 10/05/2018)
2018-10-052LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION (Thurston, Robin) (Entered: 10/05/2018)
2018-10-05Case Assigned to Judge Rudolph Contreras. (zmd) (Entered: 10/05/2018)
2018-10-053SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent) (zmd) (Entered: 10/05/2018)
2018-10-174RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 10/11/2018. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 11/10/2018.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 10/11/18., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE served on 10/10/2018; DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 10/11/2018 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration)(Thurston, Robin) (Entered: 10/17/2018)
2018-10-235NOTICE of Appearance by Damon William Taaffe on behalf of DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 10/23/2018)
2018-11-136ANSWER to Complaint by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 11/13/2018)
2018-11-14MINUTE ORDER: It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet, confer, and jointly submit a proposed briefing schedule by November 28, 2018. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 11/14/18. (lcrc1) (Entered: 11/14/2018)
2018-11-21Set/Reset Deadlines: Proposed Briefing Schedule due by 11/28/2018 (tj) (Entered: 11/21/2018)
2018-11-287Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 11/28/2018)
2018-11-28MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 7 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before December 28, 2018. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 11/28/18. (lcrc1) (Entered: 11/28/2018)
2018-11-29Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 12/28/2018 (tj) (Entered: 11/29/2018)
2018-12-278Consent MOTION to Stay Joint Status Report Deadline in Light of Lapse of Appropriations by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 12/27/2018)
2019-01-25MINUTE ORDER granting 8 Motion to Stay: It is hereby ORDERED that this case is STAYED until appropriations are restored to the Department of Justice. It is FURTHER ORDERED that the joint status report previously due on December 28, 2018 shall be due within 14 days after restoration of appropriations. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 1/25/19. (lcrc1) (Entered: 01/25/2019)
2019-02-089Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 02/08/2019)
2019-02-11MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 9 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before March 8, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 2/11/19. (lcrc1) (Entered: 02/11/2019)
2019-02-11Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 3/8/2019 (tj) (Entered: 02/11/2019)
2019-02-1510NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Christopher Charles Hair on behalf of All Defendants (Hair, Christopher) (Entered: 02/15/2019)
2019-03-0811Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Hair, Christopher) (Entered: 03/08/2019)
2019-03-11MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before May 1, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 3/11/19. (lcrc1) (Entered: 03/11/2019)
2019-04-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 5/1/2019 (tj) (Entered: 04/04/2019)
2019-05-0112Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Hair, Christopher) (Entered: 05/01/2019)
2019-05-02MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 12 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before June 30, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Rudolph Contreras on 5/2/19. (lcrc1) (Entered: 05/02/2019)
2019-05-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 6/30/2019. (tj) (Entered: 05/02/2019)
2019-05-22Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 5/30/2019 (tj) (Entered: 05/22/2019)
2019-06-2613STIPULATION of Dismissal by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Thurston, Robin) (Entered: 06/26/2019)
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