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Case TitleTRENT v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv02591
Date Filed2018-11-09
Date Closed2020-03-24
JudgeJudge Amy Berman Jackson
PlaintiffMATHIAS TRENT
formerly known as BINH QUOC TRAN
Case DescriptionMathias Trent submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Homeland Security for records concerning an investigation of him by DHS's San Francisco Division. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request and eventually provided six pages with redactions under Exemption 6 (invasion of privacy), Exemption 7(C) (invasion of privacy concerning law enforcement records) and Exemption 7(E) (investigative methods and techniques). Trent filed an administrative appeal of the agency's decision. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Trent filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Complaint attachment 7
Opinion/Order [24]
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2018-11-091COMPLAINT against UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5786414) filed by MATHIAS TRENT. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet, # 6 Summons, # 7 Summons)(Byrnes, Kevin) (Attachment 5 - Civil Cover Sheet replaced on 11/13/2018) (zjd). (Entered: 11/09/2018)
2018-11-13Case Assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. (zjd) (Entered: 11/13/2018)
2018-11-132SUMMONS (2) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY and U.S. Attorney General. SUMMONS NOT ISSUED as to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zjd) (Entered: 11/13/2018)
2018-11-263RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General November 15, 2018. (Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 11/26/2018)
2018-11-264RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY served on 11/15/2018 (Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 11/26/2018)
2019-01-235ENTERED IN ERROR.....REQUEST FOR SUMMONS TO ISSUE as to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia filed by MATHIAS TRENT.(Byrnes, Kevin) Modified on 1/23/2019 (jf). (Entered: 01/23/2019)
2019-01-23NOTICE OF CORRECTED DOCKET ENTRY: Document No. re 5 Request for Summons to Issue was entered in error and counsel was instructed to refile said pleading using the FOIA Summons.(jf) (Entered: 01/23/2019)
2019-01-286REQUEST FOR SUMMONS TO ISSUE filed by MATHIAS TRENT.(Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 01/28/2019)
2019-01-287SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (jf) (Entered: 01/28/2019)
2019-02-128RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. MATHIAS TRENT served on 1/29/2019, RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 01/29/2019., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 1/29/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 2/28/2019.) (Byrnes, Kevin) Modified on 2/12/2019 to correct service/answer due date (jf). (Entered: 02/12/2019)
2019-02-289NOTICE of Appearance by Daniel Patrick Schaefer on behalf of UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 02/28/2019)
2019-02-2810ANSWER to Complaint by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 02/28/2019)
2019-03-01NOTICE OF ERROR re 10 Answer to Complaint; emailed to Daniel.Schaefer@usdoj.gov, cc'd 4 associated attorneys -- The PDF file you docketed contained errors: 1. Incorrect header/caption/case number, 2. DO NOT REFILE - Judge's initials are ABJ, please make corrections for future filings (zjf, ) (Entered: 03/01/2019)
2019-03-0111ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of Local Civil Rule 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure appear to be inapplicable. Defendant shall file a dispositive motion or, in the alternative, a report setting forth the schedule for the completion of its production of documents to plaintiff, on or before March 29, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 3/1/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 03/01/2019)
2019-03-2912Joint STATUS REPORT and Proposed Schedule by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 03/29/2019)
2019-04-02MINUTE ORDER. Defendant must produce a draft Vaughn index and search summary to plaintiff by April 12, 2019, and the parties must file another joint status report by May 3, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 4/2/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 04/02/2019)
2019-05-0313Joint STATUS REPORT by MATHIAS TRENT. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 05/03/2019)
2019-05-07MINUTE ORDER. The parties must file another status report by June 3, 2019, which may include a proposed schedule for the filing of dispositive motions if the parties have not resolved their differences. Any consideration of the need for in camera review or the imposition of sanctions would be premature at this time. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 5/7/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 05/07/2019)
2019-06-0314Joint STATUS REPORT by MATHIAS TRENT. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order, # 2 Exhibit)(Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 06/03/2019)
2019-06-06MINUTE ORDER. Defendant must file a dispositive motion by July 2, 2019; plaintiff must file a response to defendant's dispositive motion by July 16, 2019; and defendant must reply by July 31, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 6/6/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 06/06/2019)
2019-07-0215MOTION for Summary Judgment by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Statement of Facts, # 3 Exhibit 1, # 4 Exhibit 2, # 5 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 07/02/2019)
2019-07-0916Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 15 MOTION for Summary Judgment by MATHIAS TRENT (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 07/09/2019)
2019-07-09MINUTE ORDER granting 16 Motion for Extension of Time. Plaintiff must file his opposition to defendant's motion for summary judgment 15 by August 13, 2019. Defendant must file its reply by August 29, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 7/9/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 07/09/2019)
2019-08-1317RESPONSE re 15 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by MATHIAS TRENT. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support of Opposition to MSJ, # 2 Exhibit A and B)(Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 08/13/2019)
2019-08-2818Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 15 MOTION for Summary Judgment by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 08/28/2019)
2019-08-29MINUTE ORDER granting 18 Motion for Extension of Time. Defendant must file its reply in support of its motion for summary judgment by September 5, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 8/29/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 08/29/2019)
2019-09-0519REPLY to opposition to motion re 15 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. (Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 09/05/2019)
2019-09-2620MOTION for Leave to File Surreply to Correct Misstatements and Distortions by MATHIAS TRENT (Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 09/26/2019)
2019-09-2621MEMORANDUM re 20 MOTION for Leave to File Surreply to Correct Misstatements and Distortions filed by MATHIAS TRENT by MATHIAS TRENT. (Byrnes, Kevin) (Entered: 09/26/2019)
2019-09-30MINUTE ORDER granting 20 Motion for Leave to File Sur-Reply. The Clerk of Court is directed to docket 21 as plaintiff's Sur-Reply. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/30/2019. (lcabj2) (Entered: 09/30/2019)
2019-09-3022SURREPLY to 15 Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment filed by MATHIAS TRENT.(jth) (Entered: 10/16/2019)
2020-03-2423ORDER. Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 56 and 58, and for the reasons stated in the accompanying memorandum opinion, it is hereby ORDERED that defendant's motion for summary judgment 15 is GRANTED. This is a final appealable order. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 3/24/2020. (lcabj2) (Entered: 03/24/2020)
2020-03-2424MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 3/24/2020. (lcabj2) (Entered: 03/24/2020)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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