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Case TitleTOBIAS v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv02342
Date Filed2018-10-10
Date Closed2022-02-23
JudgeJudge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
PlaintiffJIMMY TOBIAS
Case DescriptionJimmy Tobias, a freelance reporter, submitted FOIA requests to the Department of the Interior for records concerning meetings and communications between a number of agency officials and a variety of outside organizations. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agency pertaining to any of his requests, Tobias filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Complaint attachment 7
Complaint attachment 8
Complaint attachment 9
Complaint attachment 10
Complaint attachment 11
Complaint attachment 12
Complaint attachment 13
Complaint attachment 14
Complaint attachment 15
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2018-10-101COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5730478) filed by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Exhibit E, # 6 Exhibit F, # 7 Exhibit G, # 8 Exhibit H, # 9 Exhibit I, # 10 Exhibit J, # 11 Exhibit K, # 12 Exhibit L, # 13 Exhibit M, # 14 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet, # 15 Summons Summons)(Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 10/10/2018)
2018-10-102NOTICE of Appearance by Joshua Hart Burday on behalf of JIMMY TOBIAS (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 10/10/2018)
2018-10-11Case Assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. (zrdj) (Entered: 10/11/2018)
2018-10-113SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zrdj) (Entered: 10/11/2018)
2018-10-174ORDER ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 10/17/18. (DM) (Entered: 10/17/2018)
2018-10-315RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY served on 10/4/2018 (Burday, Joshua) Modified date served on 11/6/2018 (ztd). (Entered: 10/31/2018)
2018-10-316RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 10/23/2018. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 10/31/2018)
2018-10-317RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 10/23/2018. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 11/22/2018. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 10/31/2018)
2018-11-218NOTICE of Appearance by Marina Utgoff Braswell on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 11/21/2018)
2018-11-219ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.(Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 11/21/2018)
2018-11-3010ORDER. The parties shall file the schedule not later than JANUARY 4, 2019 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on November 30, 2018. (lcckk1) (Entered: 11/30/2018)
2018-11-30Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report proposing a Schedule for proceeding in this matter due by 1/4/2019. (dot) (Entered: 11/30/2018)
2019-01-0311Consent MOTION to Stay (Defendant's Consent Motion to Stay Proceedings in Light of Lapse of Appropriations) by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 01/03/2019)
2019-01-03MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received Defendant's 11 Consent Motion to Stay Proceedings in Light of Lapse of Appropriations. Defendant fails to acknowledge the tardiness of its 11 Consent Motion pursuant to the Court's standing order. See Order Establishing Procedures for Cases Assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, ECF No. 4 , ¶ 7(A) (requiring at least four business days' notice). Nevertheless, with Plaintiff's consent, and in an exercise of the Courts discretion, the Court shall GRANT Defendant's 11 Consent Motion. The Court shall STAY the deadline for the Joint Status Report otherwise due by January 4, 2019. The deadline is tolled commensurate with the length of the lapse of appropriations to the U.S. Department of Justice. The parties shall file a notice within two business days of the restoration of the U.S. Department of Justice's funding and the resumption of its operations. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on January 3, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 01/03/2019)
2019-02-0812Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 02/08/2019)
2019-02-11MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 12 Joint Status Report. They appropriately recognize the restoration of funding to the government. See Min. Order of Jan. 3, 2019. Accordingly, the Court hereby LIFTS the stay in this matter. Defendant indicates that it is in the midst of searching for responsive records. The Court shall adopt the parties' proposal that they file a further Joint Status Report by APRIL 12, 2019 , identifying the status of Defendant's processing and the parties' discussions, and proposing a schedule for further proceedings. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on February 11, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 02/11/2019)
2019-04-1213Joint STATUS REPORT by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 04/12/2019)
2019-04-15MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, which indicates that Defendant has made further progress in its searches and that the parties intend to confer so that Defendant processes documents according to Plaintiff's priorities. The Court shall adopt the parties' proposal that they file a further Joint Status Report by MAY 30, 2019 . That Report shall include the status of Defendant's searches, review, and production; provide an update as to the parties' discussions; and propose a schedule for further proceedings. The parties shall file a further Joint Status Report no later than every forty-five days thereafter, unless and until the Court orders otherwise. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on April 15, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 04/15/2019)
2019-04-15Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/30/2019. (dot) (Entered: 04/15/2019)
2019-05-3014Joint STATUS REPORT by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 05/30/2019)
2019-07-1515Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 07/15/2019)
2019-08-0616NOTICE of Appearance by Merrick Jason Wayne on behalf of JIMMY TOBIAS (Wayne, Merrick) (Entered: 08/06/2019)
2019-08-2917Joint STATUS REPORT by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Wayne, Merrick) (Entered: 08/29/2019)
2019-10-1018Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Braswell, Marina) (Entered: 10/10/2019)
2019-11-2519Joint STATUS REPORT by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 11/25/2019)
2020-01-0920Joint STATUS REPORT by JIMMY TOBIAS. (Burday, Joshua) (Entered: 01/09/2020)
2020-01-1021NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Brenda A. Gonzalez on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Substituting for attorney Marina Utgoff Braswell (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 01/10/2020)
2020-02-2122Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 02/21/2020)
2020-04-0723Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 04/07/2020)
2020-05-2624Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 05/26/2020)
2020-07-1025NOTICE of Appearance by Michael A. Tilghman on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 07/10/2020)
2020-07-1026Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 07/10/2020)
2020-08-2427Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 08/24/2020)
2020-09-1528NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-10-0829Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 10/08/2020)
2020-11-2330Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 11/23/2020)
2021-01-0731Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 01/07/2021)
2021-02-2232Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 02/22/2021)
2021-04-0833Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 04/08/2021)
2021-05-2434Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 05/24/2021)
2021-07-0835Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 07/08/2021)
2021-08-2336Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 08/23/2021)
2021-10-0737Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 10/07/2021)
2021-11-2238Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2022-01-0639Joint STATUS REPORT by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 01/06/2022)
2022-02-2240NOTICE of Appearance by Matthew Topic on behalf of JIMMY TOBIAS (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 02/22/2022)
2022-02-2241STIPULATION of Dismissal by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY. (Tilghman, Michael) (Entered: 02/22/2022)
2022-02-2342ORDER dismissing case with prejudice. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on February 23, 2022. (lcckk1) (Entered: 02/23/2022)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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