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Case TitleCLARK v. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv00075
Date Filed2018-01-12
Date Closed2020-01-16
JudgeJudge Dabney L. Friedrich
PlaintiffGEORGE E. CLARK
Case DescriptionGeorge Clark, a research librarian at Harvard University, submitted a FOIA request to the EPA for emails between EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson and 20 named individuals. Clark requested expedited processing and a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of his request and denied his requests for expedited processing and a fee waiver. The agency asked Clark to narrow the scope of his request. Clark declined to do so. The agency denied Clark's request because it failed to sufficiently describe the records sought. Clark filed an administrative appeal, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Clark filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit

DefendantENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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

2018-01-121COMPLAINT against ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5285046) filed by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons to Agency, # 3 Summons to U.S. Attorney, # 4 Summons to Attorney General)(Llewellyn, Patrick) (Attachment 1 replaced on 1/16/2018) (jd). (Entered: 01/12/2018)
2018-01-12Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (jd) (Entered: 01/16/2018)
2018-01-162SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(jd) (Entered: 01/16/2018)
2018-01-163RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 1/19/2018. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 2/18/2018. (Llewellyn, Patrick) Modified dates on 1/17/2018 (znmw). (Entered: 01/16/2018)
2018-01-164GENERAL ORDER AND GUIDELINES FOR CIVIL CASES BEFORE JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON. The Court will hold the parties and counsel responsible for following these directives, and parties and counsel should pay particular attention to the Courts instructions for briefing motions and filing exhibits. Failure to adhere to this Order may, when appropriate, result the imposition of sanctions and/or sua sponte denial of non-conforming motions. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 1/16/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 01/16/2018)
2018-01-165Case randomly reassigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is no longer assigned to the case. (ztnr) (Entered: 01/17/2018)
2018-01-17Set/Reset Deadlines: Answer due by 2/18/2018, (znmw) (Entered: 01/17/2018)
2018-01-266NOTICE of Appearance by Scott Leeson Sroka on behalf of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 01/26/2018)
2018-02-157ANSWER to 1 Complaint, by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.(Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 02/15/2018)
2018-02-22MINUTE ORDER requiring the parties to MEET AND CONFER and file a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for further proceedings. The parties shall file the Joint Status Report no later than March 23, 2018. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on February 22, 2018. (JK) (Entered: 02/22/2018)
2018-03-238Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 03/23/2018)
2018-04-03MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 8 Joint Status Report, it hereby is ORDERED that the EPA shall complete a search for responsive records as soon as possible but no later than April 20, 2018. Following completion of the search, the parties shall confer and file a joint status report that addresses the number of responsive records and a proposed schedule for production. The parties shall file the joint status report on or before April 24, 2018. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on April 3, 2018. (JK) (Entered: 04/03/2018)
2018-04-249Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 04/24/2018)
2018-04-24MINUTE ORDER approving the proposed schedule set forth in the parties' 9 Joint Status Report. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that EPA shall process 500 documents and make an initial production of non-exempt documents by June 5, 2018. EPA shall continue to produce documents by the 5th of each month, unless the 5th day falls on a weekend or holiday, in which case the production shall occur on the next business day. The parties shall confer and submit a joint status report by June 15, 2018. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on April 24, 2018. (JK) (Entered: 04/24/2018)
2018-06-1510Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 06/15/2018)
2018-06-16MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 10 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall proceed in compliance with the Minute Order issued on April 24, 2018. In addition, the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before July 16, 2018. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 16, 2018. (JK) (Entered: 06/16/2018)
2018-07-1211Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 07/12/2018)
2018-09-1912Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 09/19/2018)
2018-10-03MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 12 Joint Status Report it is ORDERED that the parties shall submit another joint status report on or before December 19, 2018. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on October 3, 2018. (JK) (Entered: 10/03/2018)
2018-12-1913Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 12/19/2018)
2019-01-0314Unopposed MOTION to Stay , MOTION for Extension of Time to in Light of Lapse of Appropriations by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Hudak, Brian) (Entered: 01/03/2019)
2019-01-03MINUTE ORDER granting the defendant's 14 Unopposed Motion for a Stay and Extension of Time in Light of Lapse of Appropriations. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that this case is STAYED until Congress has restored appropriations to the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency. All pending deadlines in this action are extended for a period of time equal to the calendar day duration of the lapse in appropriations. The defendant shall file a status report within seven calendar days of appropriations being restored that notifies the parties and the Court that the lapse has ceased and what the defendant understands to be the new deadlines for pending matters consistent with the granted extension. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on January 3, 2019. (JK) (Entered: 01/03/2019)
2019-02-0115STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 02/01/2019)
2019-02-01MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the defendant's 15 Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall submit a joint status report on or before March 15, 2019. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on February 1, 2019. (JK) (Entered: 02/01/2019)
2019-03-1516Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 03/15/2019)
2019-03-18MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before May 15, 2019. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on March 18, 2019. (lcdlf2) (Entered: 03/18/2019)
2019-03-18Set/Reset Deadlines/Hearings: Joint Status Report due by 5/15/2019. (zcdw) (Entered: 03/23/2019)
2019-05-1517Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 05/15/2019)
2019-05-15MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before July 15, 2019. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on May 15, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 05/15/2019)
2019-05-15Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/15/2019. (zcal) (Entered: 05/15/2019)
2019-06-0518Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to Produce Documents by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 06/05/2019)
2019-06-05MINUTE ORDER granting the defendant's unopposed 18 Consent Motion for Extension of Time. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the defendant shall make its next production of documents to the plaintiff on or before June 13, 2019. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 5, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 06/05/2019)
2019-06-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Production of documents due by 6/13/2019. (zcal) (Entered: 06/06/2019)
2019-07-1519Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 07/15/2019)
2019-07-15MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 19 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before September 16, 2019. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on July 15, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 07/15/2019)
2019-07-15Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/16/2019. (zcal) (Entered: 07/15/2019)
2019-09-0520Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to Produce Documents by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 09/05/2019)
2019-09-1621Joint STATUS REPORT by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. (Sroka, Scott) (Entered: 09/16/2019)
2019-09-16MINUTE ORDER granting the defendant's 20 Consent Motion for Extension of Time to Produce Documents. Accordingly, the defendant will make its September production of documents on or before October 8, 2019. Upon consideration of the parties' 21 Joint Status Report, it is further ORDERED that the parties shall file an additional joint status report on or before October 15, 2019. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on September 16, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 09/16/2019)
2019-10-1522Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 10/15/2019)
2019-10-15MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 22 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before December 13, 2019. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on October 15, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 10/15/2019)
2019-12-1323Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2019-12-13MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 23 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before December 20, 2019, if a stipulation of dismissal has not been filed by that date. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on December 13, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2019-12-13Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 12/20/2019. (zjd) (Entered: 12/13/2019)
2019-12-2024Joint STATUS REPORT by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 12/20/2019)
2019-12-20MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 24 Joint Status Report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file another joint status report on or before January 15, 2020, if a stipulation of dismissal has not been filed by that date. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on December 20, 2019. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 12/20/2019)
2020-01-1525STIPULATION of Dismissal and Settlement by GEORGE E. CLARK. (Llewellyn, Patrick) (Entered: 01/15/2020)
2020-01-15MINUTE ORDER dismissing this case with prejudice in light of the plaintiff's 25 Stipulation of Dismissal. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a). The Clerk of Court is directed to close this case. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on January 15, 2020. (lcdlf3) (Entered: 01/15/2020)
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