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Case TitleJUDICIAL WATCH, INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2021cv01516
Date Filed2021-06-03
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Christopher R. Cooper
PlaintiffJUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Case DescriptionJudicial Watch submitted a FOIA request to the Department of State for records concerning communications from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or any U.S. consulate in China pertaining to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. 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 STATE
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

2021-06-031COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-8501980) 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 State)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 06/03/2021)
2021-06-032LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 06/03/2021)
2021-06-04Case Assigned to Judge Christopher R. Cooper. (znmg) (Entered: 06/04/2021)
2021-06-043SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmg) (Entered: 06/04/2021)
2021-06-104NOTICE of Appearance by Johnny Hillary Walker, III on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 06/10/2021)
2021-06-165RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 6/9/2021. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 7/9/2021. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 06/16/2021)
2021-06-166RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 06/14/21. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 06/16/2021)
2021-06-167RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 6/15/2021 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of David Rothstein)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 06/16/2021)
2021-07-088ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE.(Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 07/08/2021)
2021-07-09MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall promptly confer and shall file a joint proposed schedule for briefing or disclosure by July 23, 2021. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 07/09/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 07/09/2021)
2021-07-239Joint STATUS REPORT and Proposed Schedule by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 07/23/2021)
2021-07-26MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 9 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report and proposed production schedule on or before August 23, 2021. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 07/26/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 07/26/2021)
2021-08-2310Joint STATUS REPORT and Proposed Schedule by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 08/23/2021)
2021-08-23MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 10 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before September 22, 2021. Status Report due by 9/22/2021. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 08/23/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 08/23/2021)
2021-09-2211Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 09/22/2021)
2021-09-24MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 11 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before October 22, 2021. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 9/24/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 09/24/2021)
2021-09-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 10/22/2021. (znbn) (Entered: 09/24/2021)
2021-10-2212Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Walker, Johnny) (Entered: 10/22/2021)
2021-10-26MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 12 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before December 21, 2021. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 10/26/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 10/26/2021)
2021-11-1713NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Kenneth A. Adebonojo on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Substituting for attorney Johnny H. Walker (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 11/17/2021)
2021-12-2114Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 12/21/2021)
2021-12-22MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 14 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before March 25, 2022. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 12/22/2021. (lccrc3) (Entered: 12/22/2021)
2022-03-2515Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 03/25/2022)
2022-03-25MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 15 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before April 29, 2022. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 3/25/2022. (lccrc3) (Entered: 03/25/2022)
2022-04-2916Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 04/29/2022)
2022-04-29MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 16 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before July 28, 2022. The Department is encouraged, if possible, to provide an estimate of how many potentially responsive pages are contained within the "approximately 435 potentially responsive unclassified documents" in the next report. Alternatively, the Department is encouraged to provide an estimated completion date of the production of pages in the unclassified system. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 4/29/2022. (lccrc3) (Entered: 04/29/2022)
2022-07-2817Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 07/28/2022)
2022-08-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 17 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before October 28, 2022. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 8/1/2022. (lccrc3) (Entered: 08/01/2022)
2022-10-2818Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 10/28/2022)
2022-11-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 18 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before January 31, 2023. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 11/01/2022. (lccrc3) (Entered: 11/01/2022)
2023-01-3119Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 01/31/2023)
2023-02-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 19 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before April 28, 2023. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 02/01/2023. (lccrc3) (Entered: 02/01/2023)
2023-04-2820Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 04/28/2023)
2023-05-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 20 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before July 28, 2023. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 05/01/2023. (lccrc3) (Entered: 05/01/2023)
2023-07-2821Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Peterson, James) (Entered: 07/28/2023)
2023-08-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 21 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further Joint Status Report on or before October 30, 2023. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 8/1/2023. (lccrc3) (Entered: 08/01/2023)
2023-10-3022Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Adebonojo, Kenneth) (Entered: 10/30/2023)
2023-11-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 22 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further joint status report by January 31, 2024. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 11/1/2023. (lccrc3) (Entered: 11/01/2023)
2024-01-3123Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 01/31/2024)
2024-02-02MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 23 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further joint status report by April 30, 2024. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 2/2/2024. (lccrc3) (Entered: 02/02/2024)
2024-04-3024Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 04/30/2024)
2024-05-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 24 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further joint status report by July 31, 2024. In that report, the parties shall specify the number of document productions Defendant has made since the 24 Joint Status Report. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 5/1/2024. (lccrc3) (Entered: 05/01/2024)
2024-07-3125Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Peterson, James) (Entered: 07/31/2024)
2024-08-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 25 Joint Status Report, the parties are hereby directed to file a further joint status report by October 31, 2024. In that report, Defendant shall specify how many pages remain to be reviewed and when Defendant estimates that review will be completed. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 8/1/2024. (lccrc3) (Entered: 08/01/2024)
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