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Case TitleDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION v. U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2021cv01026
Date Filed2021-04-13
Date Closed2023-02-13
JudgeJudge Amy Berman Jackson
PlaintiffDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION
Case DescriptionDemocracy Forward Foundation submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Census Bureau of records concerning communications to agency officials containing specified keywords related to former President Donald Trump's political policies towards the Census. DFF also requested a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. After hearing nothing further from the agency, DFF filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Public Interest Fee Waiver, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. CENSUS BUREAU
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
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2021-04-131COMPLAINT against U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-8372386) filed by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Exhibit E, # 6 Civil Cover Sheet, # 7 Summons, # 8 Summons, # 9 Summons)(Dubner, Jeffrey) (Entered: 04/13/2021)
2021-04-132LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION (Dubner, Jeffrey) (Entered: 04/13/2021)
2021-04-14NOTICE OF ERROR re 1 Complaint; emailed to jdubner@democracyforward.org, cc'd 1 associated attorneys -- The PDF file you docketed contained errors: 1. Attorney is provisional. Please renew your membership. See https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/attorney-admissions-and-renewal-information., 2. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE is by close of business today. This case will not proceed any further until all errors are satisfied. (Guerra, Natalie) (Entered: 04/14/2021)
2021-04-144NOTICE of Appearance by Jessica Anne Morton on behalf of DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION (Morton, Jessica) (Entered: 04/14/2021)
2021-04-145ENTERED IN ERROR.....STIPULATION of Dismissal Corrected by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Dubner, Jeffrey) Modified on 4/15/2021 (zsb). (Entered: 04/14/2021)
2021-04-15Case Assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. (zsb) (Entered: 04/15/2021)
2021-04-156SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(adh, ) (Entered: 04/15/2021)
2021-04-15NOTICE OF CORRECTED DOCKET ENTRY: re 5 Stipulation of Dismissal was entered in error and counsel was instructed to refile said pleading in the correct case number. (zsb) (Entered: 04/15/2021)
2021-04-227RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 4/21/2021. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 5/21/2021.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 4/19/2021., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. CENSUS BUREAU served on 4/20/2021 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration)(Morton, Jessica) (Entered: 04/22/2021)
2021-05-248NOTICE of Appearance by Daniel Patrick Schaefer on behalf of U.S. CENSUS BUREAU (Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 05/24/2021)
2021-05-249ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU.(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 05/24/2021)
2021-05-2510ORDER. 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 June 22, 2021. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 5/25/21. (lcabj2) (Entered: 05/25/2021)
2021-05-25Set/Reset Deadlines: 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 6/22/2021. (jth) (Entered: 05/25/2021)
2021-06-2211STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 06/22/2021)
2021-06-23MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 11 status report, it is ORDERED that defendant must file another status report by July 22, 2021. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 6/23/21. (lcabj2) (Entered: 06/23/2021)
2021-07-2212STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 07/22/2021)
2021-07-23MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 12 status report, it is ORDERED that defendant must file another status report by September 8, 2021, and November 24, 2021. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 7/23/21. (lcabj2) (Entered: 07/23/2021)
2021-09-0813STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 09/08/2021)
2021-09-09MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 13 status report, it is ORDERED that defendant must file another status report by November 24, 2021. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/9/21. (lcabj2) (Entered: 09/09/2021)
2021-11-2314STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 11/23/2021)
2021-11-24MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 14 status report, it is ORDERED that defendant must file another status report by January 24, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/24/2021. (lcabj2) (Entered: 11/24/2021)
2022-01-2415STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 01/24/2022)
2022-01-25MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 15 status report, it is ORDERED that defendant must file another status report by March 25, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 01/25/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 01/25/2022)
2022-03-2416STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 03/24/2022)
2022-03-24MINUTE ORDER. In light of defendant's 16 status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file a joint status report by May 20, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 03/24/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 03/24/2022)
2022-05-2017Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 05/20/2022)
2022-05-24MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 17 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by July 19, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 05/24/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 05/24/2022)
2022-07-1918Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 07/19/2022)
2022-07-19MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 18 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by August 18, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 07/19/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 07/19/2022)
2022-08-1819Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 08/18/2022)
2022-08-19MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 19 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by September 19, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 08/19/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 08/19/2022)
2022-09-1920Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Schaefer, Daniel) (Entered: 09/19/2022)
2022-09-19MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 20 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by October 25, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 09/19/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 09/19/2022)
2022-10-2021NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Benton Gregory Peterson on behalf of U.S. CENSUS BUREAU Substituting for attorney Daniel Schaefer (Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 10/20/2022)
2022-10-2522Joint STATUS REPORT by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Morton, Jessica) (Entered: 10/25/2022)
2022-11-01MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 22 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by November 29, 2022. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/01/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 11/01/2022)
2022-11-2923Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 11/29/2022)
2022-11-29MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 23 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by January 6, 2023. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/29/2022. (lcabj2) (Entered: 11/29/2022)
2023-01-0524Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Robertson, Lshauntee) (Entered: 01/05/2023)
2023-01-0625NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Lshauntee J. Robertson on behalf of All Defendants Substituting for attorney Benton G. Peterson (Robertson, Lshauntee) (Entered: 01/06/2023)
2023-01-06MINUTE ORDER. In light of the parties' 24 joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties must file another joint status report by February 16, 2023. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 01/06/2023. (lcabj2) (Entered: 01/06/2023)
2023-02-1326STIPULATION of Dismissal by U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. (Robertson, L'Shauntee) (Entered: 02/13/2023)
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