Skip to content

Case Detail

[Subscribe to updates]
Case TitleJUDICIAL WATCH, INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2021cv00612
Date Filed2021-03-08
Date Closed2021-10-15
JudgeJudge Trevor N. McFadden
PlaintiffJUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Case DescriptionJudicial Watch submitted a FOIA request to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for records concerning communications between the Division of Nursing Homes and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine concerning nursing home procedures as a result of the pandemic. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Judicial Watch filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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

2021-03-081COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-8285712) filed by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons for US Attorney for DC, # 3 Summons for US Attorney General, # 4 Summons for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 03/08/2021)
2021-03-082LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 03/08/2021)
2021-03-08Case Assigned to Judge Trevor N. McFadden. (adh, ) (Entered: 03/08/2021)
2021-03-083STANDING ORDER Establishing Procedures for Cases Before Judge Trevor N. McFadden. The parties are hereby ORDERED to read and comply with the directives in the attached standing order. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 3/8/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 03/08/2021)
2021-03-094NOTICE of Appearance by Meredith Leigh Di Liberto on behalf of JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Di Liberto, Meredith) (Entered: 03/09/2021)
2021-03-105SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(adh, ) (Entered: 03/10/2021)
2021-03-296RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 3/26/2021. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 4/25/2021. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 03/29/2021)
2021-03-297RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 03/16/21. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 03/29/2021)
2021-03-298RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES served on 3/15/2021 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 03/29/2021)
2021-04-269ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.(Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 04/26/2021)
2021-04-26MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court are a complaint and an answer in this FOIA case. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and file a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for proceedings in this matter. The report should address, among other things, the status of Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated number of documents responsive to Plaintiff's FOIA request, the anticipated date(s) for release of the documents requested by Plaintiff, whether a motion for an Open America stay is likely in this case, whether a Vaughn index will be required in this case, and a briefing schedule for dispositive motions, if required. The parties shall file the report on or before May 18, 2021. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/26/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 04/26/2021)
2021-04-26Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/18/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 04/26/2021)
2021-05-1810Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 05/18/2021)
2021-05-18MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 10 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before June 3, 2021, addressing the progress of Defendant's search and recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 5/18/2021.(lctnm1) (Entered: 05/18/2021)
2021-05-19Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/3/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 05/19/2021)
2021-06-0311Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 06/03/2021)
2021-06-03MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before June 17, 2021, addressing the status of Defendants search and recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 6/3/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 06/03/2021)
2021-06-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/17/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 06/04/2021)
2021-06-1712Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Di Liberto, Meredith) (Entered: 06/17/2021)
2021-06-17MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 12 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before July 1, 2021, addressing the status of Defendant's search and recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 6/17/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 06/17/2021)
2021-06-21Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/1/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 06/21/2021)
2021-07-0113Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Di Liberto, Meredith) (Entered: 07/01/2021)
2021-07-01MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before July 22, 2021, addressing the status of Defendant's search and recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 7/1/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 07/01/2021)
2021-07-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/22/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 07/02/2021)
2021-07-2214Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 07/22/2021)
2021-07-22MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before August 5, 2021, recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 7/22/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 07/22/2021)
2021-07-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 8/5/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 07/23/2021)
2021-08-0515Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Di Liberto, Meredith) (Entered: 08/05/2021)
2021-08-05MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the 15 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before August 31, 2021, recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 8/5/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 08/05/2021)
2021-08-06Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 8/31/2021.(zhmc) (Entered: 08/06/2021)
2021-08-3116Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 08/31/2021)
2021-08-31MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the 16 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before September 14, 2021, recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 8/31/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 08/31/2021)
2021-08-31Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/14/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 08/31/2021)
2021-09-1417Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (Takemoto, Benjamin) (Entered: 09/14/2021)
2021-09-14MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the 17 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file a further Joint Status Report on or before October 13, 2021, recommending further proceedings. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 9/14/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 09/14/2021)
2021-09-16Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 10/13/2021. (hmc) (Entered: 09/16/2021)
2021-10-1318STIPULATION of Dismissal by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Di Liberto, Meredith) (Entered: 10/13/2021)
2021-10-14MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 18 Stipulation of Dismissal, this case is hereby DISMISSED with prejudice. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(ii). The Clerk of Court shall close this case. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 10/14/2021. (lctnm1) (Entered: 10/14/2021)
Hide Docket Events
by FOIA Project Staff
Skip to toolbar