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Case TitleAmerican Civil Liberties Union of Michigan v. Federal Bureau of Investigation et al
DistrictEastern District of Michigan
CityDetroit
Case Number2:2011cv13154
Date Filed2011-07-21
Date Closed2012-09-30
JudgeDistrict Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff
PlaintiffAmerican Civil Liberties Union of Michigan
DefendantFederal Bureau of Investigation
DefendantUnited States Department of Justice
AppealSixth Circuit 12-2536
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Opinion/Order [35]
FOIA Project Annotation: A federal court in Michigan has ruled that the FBI properly withheld most records pertaining to the use of race and ethnicity in investigations in Michigan under Exemption 1 (national security), Exemption 7(A) (interference with ongoing investigation or proceedings), and Exemption 7(E) (investigative methods and techniques). The agency withheld domain intelligence notesâ€"FBI analysts' methods of collecting and recording information gathered on a particular groupâ€"electronic communications, and maps. Approving of the agency's descriptions of the documents and the reason their disclosure would harm national security, the court noted that the agency affidavits "fairly describe the content of the material withheld" and "state the FBI's grounds for nondisclosure" which are "reasonable and consistent with the criteria in the [Executive Order on Classification]." The court also agreed that 7(A) applied. The ACLU of Michigan argued that information on race and ethnicity was public and could not be withheld. But the court agreed with the agency, noting that "releasing demographic information about specific ethnic groups in specific areas, compiled in the course of an investigation, could reasonably be expected to alert a criminal organization that it may be the subject of an investigation."
Issues: Exemption 7(A) - Categorical exemption
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2011-07-211COMPLAINT for Injunctive Relief filed by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan against Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. Plaintiff requests summons issued. Receipt No: 0645-3078101 - Fee: $ 350. County of 1st Plaintiff: Wayne - County Where Action Arose: Wayne - [ Previously dismissed case: No] [ Possible companion case(s): None ] (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 07/21/2011)
2011-07-212SUMMONS Issued for *Federal Bureau of Investigation* (TMcg) (Entered: 07/21/2011)
2011-07-213SUMMONS Issued for *United States Department of Justice* (TMcg) (Entered: 07/21/2011)
2011-07-214SUMMONS Issued for the United States Attorney and the Office of the Attorney General. (TMcg) (Entered: 07/21/2011)
2011-08-035CERTIFICATE of Service/Summons Returned Executed. U.S. Attorney on behalf of All Defendants. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 08/03/2011)
2011-08-126CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE re 2 Summons Issued by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan to the FBI (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 08/12/2011)
2011-08-127CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE re 4 Summons Issued for US Attorney/Attorney General by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan to Attorney General Office (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 08/12/2011)
2011-08-298NOTICE of Appearance by Justin M. Sandberg on behalf of Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. (Sandberg, Justin) [INCORRECT CASE NUMBER ON DOCUMENT] Modified on 8/29/2011 (DSmi). (Entered: 08/29/2011)
2011-08-299ANSWER to Complaint by Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. (Sandberg, Justin) [INCORRECT CASE NUMBER ON DOCUMENT] Modified on 8/29/2011 (DSmi). (Entered: 08/29/2011)
2011-09-0110NOTICE TO APPEAR: Scheduling Conference set for 10/4/2011 09:30 AM before District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff IN PORT HURON (MVer) (Entered: 09/01/2011)
2011-09-1611NOTICE of Appearance by Nusrat J. Choudhury - NOT SWORN on behalf of American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Choudhury - NOT SWORN, Nusrat) (Entered: 09/16/2011)
2011-09-1612NOTICE of Appearance by Hina Shamsi - NOT SWORN on behalf of American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Shamsi - NOT SWORN, Hina) (Entered: 09/16/2011)
2011-09-2313ATTORNEY APPEARANCE: Andrew J. Lievense appearing on behalf of All Defendants (Lievense, Andrew) (Entered: 09/23/2011)
2011-09-2914DISCOVERY plan jointly filed pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 26(f) (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 09/29/2011)
2011-10-04Minute Entry - Scheduling Conference held on 10/4/2011 before District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. Disposition: Conference is continued to February 9, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. in Port Huron. (MVer) (Entered: 10/04/2011)
2011-10-0515NOTICE of Appearance by Michael J. Steinberg on behalf of American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Steinberg, Michael) (Entered: 10/05/2011)
2011-10-0516NOTICE of Appearance by Mark P. Fancher on behalf of American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Fancher, Mark) (Entered: 10/05/2011)
2012-01-3117STIPULATION AND ORDER ADJOURNING SCHEDULING CONFERENCE TO FEBRUARY 28, 2012 AT 9:30 A.M. IN PORT HURON Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 01/31/2012)
2012-02-1518Ex Parte MOTION for Leave to File Excess Pages , Unopposed by Plaintiff, by Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Order) (Sandberg, Justin) (Entered: 02/15/2012)
2012-02-1719MOTION for Summary Judgment by Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Document Continuation, # 3 Proposed order) (Sandberg, Justin) (Entered: 02/17/2012)
2012-02-2420ORDER granting 18 Motion for Leave to File Excess Pages. Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 02/24/2012)
2012-02-28Minute Entry - Scheduling Conference held on 2/28/2012 before District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff via telephone. (MVer) (Entered: 02/29/2012)
2012-03-0921ORDER for Briefing Schedule and Document Production. Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 03/09/2012)
2012-04-0522MOTION for Leave to File Excess Pages by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit) (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 04/05/2012)
2012-04-0623ORDER granting 22 Motion for Leave to File Excess Pages. Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 04/06/2012)
2012-04-1024Cross MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 1-A, # 3 Exhibit 1-B, # 4 Exhibit 1-C(A), # 5 Exhibit 1-C(B), # 6 Exhibit 1-D, # 7 Exhibit 1-E, # 8 Exhibit 1-F, # 9 Exhibit 1-G, # 10 Exhibit 1-H, # 11 Exhibit 1-I, # 12 Exhibit 1-J, # 13 Exhibit 1-K, # 14 Exhibit 1-L, # 15 Exhibit 1-M, # 16 Exhibit 1-N, # 17 Exhibit 2, # 18 Exhibit 2-A, # 19 Exhibit 2-B, # 20 Exhibit 2-C, # 21 Exhibit 2-D, # 22 Exhibit 2-E(A), # 23 Exhibit 2-E(B), # 24 Exhibit 2-F, # 25 Exhibit 2-G, # 26 Exhibit 2-H, # 27 Exhibit 2-I, # 28 Exhibit 2-J, # 29 Exhibit 3 - Proposed Order) (Borgsdorf, Stephen) Modified on 4/11/2012 (KKra). [DOCUMENT ENTITLED MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF'S CROSS-MOTION] (Entered: 04/10/2012)
2012-04-1125Cross MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 04/11/2012)
2012-04-1126INDEX of Exhibits re 24 Cross MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 04/11/2012)
2012-05-2327STIPULATION AND ORDER Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 05/23/2012)
2012-05-2528RESPONSE to 24 Cross MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment, 19 MOTION for Summary Judgment Reply filed by Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. (Attachments: # 1 Index of Exhibits, # 2 Exhibit, # 3 Exhibit) (Sandberg, Justin) (Entered: 05/25/2012)
2012-05-2529NOTICE by Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice of filing of material ex parte and in camera (Sandberg, Justin) (Entered: 05/25/2012)
2012-06-1130MOTION Plaintiff's Motion To File An Enlarged Reply Brief by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 06/11/2012)
2012-06-1431RESPONSE to 28 Response to Motion, Corrected Memorandum In Support Of Plaintiff's Cross-Motion For Partial Summary Judgment And Opposition To Defendants' Motion For Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 06/14/2012)
2012-06-1532ORDER granting 30 Motion to File Enlarged Brief. Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 06/15/2012)
2012-06-1533RESPONSE to 31 Response (Free), Response (Free) Amended Corrected Memorandum In Support Of Plaintiff's Cross-Motion For Partial Summary Judgment And Opposition To Defendants' Motion For Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 06/15/2012)
2012-06-1534REPLY to 25 Cross MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment Reply Memorandum In Support Of Plaintiff's Cross-Motion For Partial Summary Judgment by American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. (Borgsdorf, Stephen) (Entered: 06/15/2012)
2012-09-3035ORDER granting 19 Motion for Summary Judgment; denying 25 Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 09/30/2012)
2012-09-3036JUDGMENT Signed by District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff. (MVer) (Entered: 09/30/2012)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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