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Case TitleCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY v. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv00932
Date Filed2019-04-03
Date Closed2019-12-27
JudgeJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson
PlaintiffCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Case DescriptionThe Center for Biological Diversity submitted three FOIA requests to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for records concerning the Interior Department's decision to discontinue FWS's earlier decision to ban the use of pesticides on Refuge System lands. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from agency concerning any of its requests, CBD filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
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

2019-04-031COMPLAINT against U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6038154) filed by CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons Attorney General, # 3 Summons Fish and Wildlife, # 4 Summons US Attorney)(Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-032LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-03Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zef, ) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-033SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General. (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zef, ) (Entered: 04/03/2019)
2019-04-114GENERAL ORDER AND GUIDELINES APPLICABLE TO FOIA CASES ASSIGNED TO 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 Court's instructions for processing and production of records, batching 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 4/11/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 04/11/2019)
2019-04-185RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 4/15/2019. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/15/2019. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Certified Mail Return Receipt)(Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 04/18/2019)
2019-04-186RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 4/15/2019. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Certified Mail Return Receipt)(Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 04/18/2019)
2019-04-187RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE served on 4/15/2019 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Certified Mail Return Receipt)(Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 04/18/2019)
2019-05-108NOTICE of Appearance by Matthew Evan Kahn on behalf of U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (Kahn, Matthew) (Entered: 05/10/2019)
2019-05-109AMENDED COMPLAINT against U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE filed by CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. (Attachments: # 1 Appendix Redline Comparison)(Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 05/10/2019)
2019-05-1010NOTICE of Appearance by Margaret E. Townsend on behalf of CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (Townsend, Margaret) (Entered: 05/10/2019)
2019-05-2111NOTICE of Intent to File Answer by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (Kahn, Matthew) (Entered: 05/21/2019)
2019-05-2412ANSWER to 9 Amended Complaint by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.(Kahn, Matthew) (Entered: 05/24/2019)
2019-05-30MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall review this Court's 4 General Order and Guidelines Applicable to FOIA Cases, and promptly confer and file a joint proposed schedule for disclosure or briefing motions for summary judgment, on or before 6/13/2019. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 5/30/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 05/30/2019)
2019-06-1313Joint STATUS REPORT by CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. (Connor, Hannah) (Entered: 06/13/2019)
2019-06-25MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 7/15/2019, 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)
2019-07-1114Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. (Kahn, Matthew) (Entered: 07/11/2019)
2019-07-12MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 8/12/2019, 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 7/12/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 07/12/2019)
2019-08-1215Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. (Kahn, Matthew) (Entered: 08/12/2019)
2019-08-26MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 15 Joint Status report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a further joint status report on or before 10/18/2019, which shall contain a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 8/26/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/26/2019)
2019-10-1516NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Damon William Taaffe on behalf of U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Substituting for attorney Matthew Kahn (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 10/15/2019)
2019-10-1817Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 10/18/2019)
2019-10-21MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 17 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 12/10/2019, 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 10/21/2019. (jag) (Entered: 10/21/2019)
2019-12-1118Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. (Taaffe, Damon) (Entered: 12/11/2019)
2019-12-26MINUTE ORDER. Where only attorneys' fees remain at issue in a FOIA case, it is the practice of this Court to close the case administratively while it awaits notice from the parties regarding settlement of the attorneys' fees or a joint proposed schedule for briefing this remaining dispute. Accordingly, in light of the representations in the parties' 18 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that this matter be ADMINISTRATIVELY CLOSED. It is FURTHER ORDERED that the parties shall file a joint status report on or before 1/9/2020, which shall contain a proposed schedule for briefing the issue of attorneys' fees, if such briefing is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 12/26/2019. (jag) (Entered: 12/26/2019)
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