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Case TitleAMERICAN OVERSIGHT v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv00652
Date Filed2019-03-07
Date Closed2020-04-23
JudgeJudge Trevor N. McFadden
PlaintiffAMERICAN OVERSIGHT
Case DescriptionAmerican Oversight submitted three FOIA requests to the Department of Agriculture for records concerning communications between USDA officials and various industry groups or lobbyists representing them. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests, but after hearing nothing further from the agency pertaining to any of the requests, AO filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-03-071COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5987732) filed by AMERICAN OVERSIGHT. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons U.S. Attorney, # 3 Summons Attorney General, # 4 Summons U.S. Department of Agriculture)(France, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/07/2019)
2019-03-072LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by AMERICAN OVERSIGHT (France, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/07/2019)
2019-03-07Case Assigned to Judge Trevor N. McFadden. (zef, ) (Entered: 03/07/2019)
2019-03-073ENTERED IN ERROR.....SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zef, ) Modified on 3/8/2019 (zef, ). (Entered: 03/07/2019)
2019-03-08NOTICE OF CORRECTED DOCKET ENTRY: re 3 Summons Issued Electronically as to AUSA was entered in error. Only 1 summons was issued electronically and it was not correct. Three summons issued 03/08/2019. (zef, ) (Entered: 03/08/2019)
2019-03-084SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zef, ) (Entered: 03/08/2019)
2019-03-115STANDING ORDER Establishing Procedures for Cases Before Judge Trevor N. McFadden. The parties are hereby ORDERED to read and comply with the directives in the attached standing order. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 3/11/2019. (lctnm1) (Entered: 03/11/2019)
2019-03-156RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 3/8/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 4/7/2019.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 3/12/2019., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE served on 3/11/2019 (France, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/15/2019)
2019-04-027NOTICE of Appearance by Marsha Wellknown Yee on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 04/02/2019)
2019-04-028Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to File Defendant's Response to Plaintiff's Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 04/02/2019)
2019-04-03MINUTE ORDER granting 8 Consent Motion for Extension of Time. Defendant shall respond to Plaintiff's Complaint on or before April 22, 2019. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/3/19. (lctnm1) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-03Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant's response to Plaintiff's Complaint due by 4/22/2019. (hmc) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-229ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.(Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 04/22/2019)
2019-04-23MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court are a complaint and an answer in this FOIA case. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and file a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for proceeding in this matter. The schedule should address, among other things, the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated number of documents responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated date(s) for release of the documents requested by Plaintiff, whether a motion for an Open America stay is likely in this case, whether a Vaughn index will be required in this case, and a briefing schedule for dispositive motions, if required. The parties shall file the schedule on or before May 23, 2019. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/23/19. (lctnm1) (Entered: 04/23/2019)
2019-04-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/23/2019. (hmc) (Entered: 04/23/2019)
2019-05-2310Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 05/23/2019)
2019-05-24MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of 10 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further joint status report on or before July 24, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 5/24/19. (lctnm1) (Entered: 05/24/2019)
2019-05-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/24/2019. (hmc) (Entered: 05/24/2019)
2019-07-2311Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 07/23/2019)
2019-07-23MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of 11 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further joint status report on or before September 25, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 7/23/19. (lctnm1) (Entered: 07/23/2019)
2019-07-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/25/2019. (hmc) (Entered: 07/24/2019)
2019-09-2512Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 09/25/2019)
2019-09-25MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of 12 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ordered to file a further Joint Status Report on or before November 7, 2019. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 09/25/19. (lctnm1) (Entered: 09/25/2019)
2019-09-25Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 11/7/2019. (hmc) (Entered: 09/25/2019)
2019-10-1713NOTICE of Appearance by Sara Kaiser Creighton on behalf of AMERICAN OVERSIGHT (Creighton, Sara) (Entered: 10/17/2019)
2019-10-2214NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to AMERICAN OVERSIGHT. Attorney Elizabeth France terminated. (France, Elizabeth) (Entered: 10/22/2019)
2019-11-0715Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 11/07/2019)
2019-11-07MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 15 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further Joint Status Report on or before December 13, 2019. If the parties reach a settlement before December 13, 2019, they shall promptly inform the Court. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 11/07/2019. (lctnm1) (Entered: 11/07/2019)
2019-11-07Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 12/13/2019. (tg) (Entered: 11/07/2019)
2019-12-1316Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2019-12-13MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further Joint Status Report on or before January 22, 2020. If the parties reach a settlement before January 22, 2020, they shall promptly inform the Court. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 12/13/2019. (lctnm1) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2019-12-13Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 1/22/2020. (hmc) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2020-01-2217Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 01/22/2020)
2020-01-22MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 17 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further Joint Status Report on or before March 11, 2020. If the parties reach a settlement before March 11, 2020, they shall promptly inform the Court. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 1/22/2020. (lctnm1) (Entered: 01/22/2020)
2020-01-22Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/11/2020. (hmc) (Entered: 01/22/2020)
2020-03-0418Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (Yee, Marsha) (Entered: 03/04/2020)
2020-03-04MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 18 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby ORDERED to file a further Joint Status Report on or before April 23, 2020. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 3/4/2020. (lctnm1) (Entered: 03/04/2020)
2020-03-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 4/23/2020. (hmc) (Entered: 03/04/2020)
2020-04-2319STIPULATION of Dismissal by AMERICAN OVERSIGHT. (Creighton, Sara) (Entered: 04/23/2020)
2020-04-23MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 19 Stipulation of Dismissal, this matter is DISMISSED per the terms of the stipulation. Each party shall bear its own attorneys' fees and costs, as stipulated. The Clerk of the Court is directed to close the case. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/23/2020. (lctnm1) (Entered: 04/23/2020)
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