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Case TitleJAMES MADISON PROJECT et al v. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv00781
Date Filed2018-04-05
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson
PlaintiffJAMES MADISON PROJECT
PlaintiffNOAH SHACHTMAN
PlaintiffBETSY WOODRUFF
Case DescriptionThe James Madison Project and Daily Beast reporters Noah Shachtman and Betsy Woodruff submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Justice for records concerning the classification/declassification review of two separate memos written by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) and co-chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA). They also requested expedited processing and a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, JMP, Schactman, and Woodruff filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Expedited processing, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantDEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
User-contributed Documents
 21 Declaration of Amanda Marchand Jones
21 Declaration of David Hardy
21 Declaration of David Hardy Exhibit A
21 Declaration of Patrick Findlay
21 Declaration of Vanessa Brinkmann
21 Declaration of Vanessa Brinkmann Exhibit A
21 Defendant's Motion for SJ
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2018-04-051COMPLAINT against DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5407098) filed by JAMES MADISON PROJECT, BETSY WOODRUFF, NOAH SHACHTMAN. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Exhibit Rule 7.1 certification, # 3 Summons DOJ, # 4 Summons USADC, # 5 Summons USAG)(Moss, Bradley) Modified on 4/5/2018 (zsth). (Entered: 04/05/2018)
2018-04-05Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zsth) (Entered: 04/05/2018)
2018-04-052LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JAMES MADISON PROJECT (zsth) (Entered: 04/05/2018)
2018-04-053SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zsth) (Entered: 04/05/2018)
2018-04-184MOTION for Leave to File First Amended Complaint by JAMES MADISON PROJECT, NOAH SHACHTMAN, BETSY WOODRUFF (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Exhibit A - First Amended Complaint, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Moss, Bradley) (Entered: 04/18/2018)
2018-04-185RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 4/10/2018. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit USAG receipt)(Moss, Bradley) (Entered: 04/18/2018)
2018-04-186RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 4/10/2018 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit DOJ receipt)(Moss, Bradley) (Entered: 04/18/2018)
2018-04-187RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 4/10/2018. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/10/2018. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit USADC receipt)(Moss, Bradley) (Entered: 04/18/2018)
2018-04-20MINUTE ORDER granting 4 Motion for Leave to File Amended Complaint. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 04/20/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 04/20/2018)
2018-04-208AMENDED COMPLAINT against DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE filed by JAMES MADISON PROJECT, BETSY WOODRUFF, NOAH SHACHTMAN.(jf) (Entered: 04/23/2018)
2018-05-109GENERAL 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 5/10/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 05/10/2018)
2018-05-2110ANSWER to 8 Amended Complaint by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 05/21/2018)
2018-05-21MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall promptly confer and file a joint proposed schedule for briefing or disclosure, on or before 6/4/2018. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 05/21/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 05/21/2018)
2018-06-0411Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 06/04/2018)
2018-06-05MINUTE ORDER. Based on the representations in the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a further joint status report on or before 7/10/2018. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 06/05/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 06/05/2018)
2018-07-1012Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 07/10/2018)
2018-07-13MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 12 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a further joint status report on or before 9/4/2018, which shall contain a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 07/13/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 07/13/2018)
2018-07-13Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 9/4/2018 (tj) (Entered: 07/13/2018)
2018-09-0413Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 09/04/2018)
2018-09-12MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a further joint status report on or before 3/11/2019, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 9/12/2018. (lckbj1) (Entered: 09/12/2018)
2019-01-0214MOTION to Stay Deadlines in Light of Lapse in Appropriations by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 01/02/2019)
2019-01-04MINUTE ORDER granting 14 Motion to Stay in light of lapse of appropriations. For good cause shown, it is hereby ORDERED that this case is STAYED. Counsel for Defendant shall notify the Court as soon as Congress has appropriated funds; at that point, the Court will enter an order resetting the applicable deadlines, which will be extended day-for-day with the duration of the lapse in appropriations. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 1/4/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 01/04/2019)
2019-01-2815NOTICE of Restoration of Appropriations by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 01/28/2019)
2019-02-0116Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 02/01/2019)
2019-02-08MINUTE ORDER. Defendant has provided notice that an appropriations act providing funding to the Department of Justice for a three-week period of time was enacted on 1/25/2019. (ECF No. 15 .) Accordingly, and upon consideration of the representations made in the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the stay in this matter is lifted, that OIP shall make an interim production of records on or before 3/5/2019, that OIP shall make a final production of records on or before 5/3/2019, and that the parties shall file a joint status report on or before 5/10/2019, which shall contain a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 2/8/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 02/08/2019)
2019-05-0317MOTION for Extension of Time to Complete Productions by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 05/03/2019)
2019-05-08MINUTE ORDER granting 17 Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Productions. It is hereby ORDERED that the Department of Justice shall produce all remaining, non-exempt records responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request on or before 6/14/2019, and that the parties shall file a further joint status report on or before 6/21/2019, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Any further requests for extensions of time must comply with 9 the Court's General Order and Guidelines for Civil Cases. Counsel is specifically directed to Section 5 of the Appendix to the General Order and Guidelines. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 5/8/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 05/08/2019)
2019-06-2118Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 06/21/2019)
2019-06-25MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 18 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 7/12/2019, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 6/25/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 06/25/2019)
2019-07-1219Joint STATUS REPORT by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Motgi, Anjali) (Entered: 07/12/2019)
2019-07-1620ORDER adopting the parties proposed briefing schedule for summary judgment motions: Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 10/10/2019; Plaintiffs' Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 11/25/2019; Defendant's Reply in Further Support of Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 1/9/2020; briefs shall be filed as a batch within three (3) business days of the service of the last reply brief authorized by this Minute Order, but in any event no later than the Final Filing Deadline of 2/13/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 7/16/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 07/16/2019)
2019-10-1021STRICKEN PURSUANT TO THE ORDER FILED ON 10/10/19.....MOTION for Summary Judgment by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts, # 2 Declaration of Criminal Division (Jones), # 3 Declaration of NSD (Findlay), # 4 Declaration of FBI (Hardy), # 5 Exhibit to Hardy Declaration, # 6 Declaration of OIP (Brinkmann), # 7 Exhibit to Brinkmann Declaration, # 8 Text of Proposed Order)(Motgi, Anjali) Modified on 10/15/2019 (zgdf). (Entered: 10/10/2019)
2019-10-10MINUTE ORDER STRIKING 21 Motion for Summary Judgment. Pursuant to Paragraph 1 of this Court's 20 Order Regarding Briefing Summary Judgment, "the parties shall not file motions for summary judgment on CM/ECF until all briefing on the motion and any cross-motion is complete." Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 10/10/2019. (jag) (Entered: 10/10/2019)
2019-11-2522NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Michael Hendry Baer on behalf of All Defendants Substituting for attorney Anjali Motgi (Baer, Michael) (Entered: 11/25/2019)
2019-11-2523MOTION for Summary Judgment by DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Statement of Facts, # 3 Declaration of Criminal Division (Jones), # 4 Declaration of NSD (Findlay), # 5 Declaration of FBI (Hardy), # 6 Exhibit to Hardy Declaration, # 7 Declaration of OIP (Brinkmann), # 8 Exhibit to Brinkmann Declaration, # 9 Text of Proposed Order)(Baer, Michael) (Entered: 11/25/2019)
2019-11-2524NOTICE of Concession by JAMES MADISON PROJECT, NOAH SHACHTMAN, BETSY WOODRUFF (Moss, Bradley) (Entered: 11/25/2019)
2019-12-0525ORDER dismissing case with prejudice. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 12/05/2019. (lckbj3, ) (Entered: 12/05/2019)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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