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Case TitleBRANTLEY v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2024cv00309
Date Filed2024-01-29
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Trevor N. McFadden
PlaintiffJEFFREY NEIL BRANTLEY
Case DescriptionJeffrey Brantley submitted two FOIA requests for records concerning the oath of office for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. The agency failed to acknowledge receipt of the requests. Brantley filed administrative appeals, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Brantley filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Recovery of Costs

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2024-01-291COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY ( Filing fee $ 405, receipt number 206612) filed by JEFFREY NEIL BRANTLEY. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet)(mg) (Entered: 02/02/2024)
2024-01-29SUMMONS Not Issued as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY (mg) (Entered: 02/02/2024)
2024-02-022STANDING 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. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 2/2/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 02/02/2024)
2024-02-203REQUEST FOR SUMMONS TO ISSUE filed by JEFFREY NEIL BRANTLEY.(mg) (Entered: 02/22/2024)
2024-02-22SUMMONS (3) Issued as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General; Sent to Plaintiff by mail. (mg) (Entered: 02/22/2024)
2024-03-29MINUTE ORDER: Plaintiff filed the Complaint in this case on January 29, 2024. As of the date of this Order, the public docket reflects that Plaintiff has yet to file proof of service on each Defendant. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(m) requires service on each Defendant no later than 90 days after the Complaint is filed, which, in this case, is April 29, 2024. The Court ORDERS Plaintiff to cause process to be served on each Defendant and file proof of such service by April 29, 2024. Failure to either do so or to establish good cause for the failure to do so will result in the dismissal of this case. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 3/29/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 03/29/2024)
2024-04-084RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 3/12/2024. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 4/11/2024.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 3/27/2024., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY served on 3/11/2024 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit)(mg) (Entered: 04/10/2024)
2024-04-115NOTICE of Appearance by Patrick Doyle on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Service)(Doyle, Patrick) (Entered: 04/11/2024)
2024-04-15MINUTE ORDER: Plaintiff in this case served the United States with a copy of his Complaint and a Summons on March 12, 2024. ECF No. 4. Thus, the Government's responsive pleading was due April 11. 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(C). The Government has yet to file a responsive pleading in this case. Accordingly, the Court ORDERS the Government to file a responsive pleading on or before April 17, 2024. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a). SO ORDERED . Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/15/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 04/15/2024)
2024-04-176ANSWER to 1 Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY.(Doyle, Patrick) (Entered: 04/17/2024)
2024-04-177STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order, # 2 Certificate of Service)(Doyle, Patrick) (Entered: 04/17/2024)
2024-04-18MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court are a Complaint and Answer in this FOIA case. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties meet and confer and that they then file a Joint Status Report proposing a schedule for proceeding in this matter. That JSR 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 JSR on or before May 31, 2024. SO ORDERED . Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 4/18/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 04/18/2024)
2024-04-298MOTION for Telephone Conference by JEFFREY NEIL BRANTLEY. (mg) (Entered: 04/30/2024)
2024-05-319Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order, # 2 Certificate of Service)(Doyle, Patrick) (Entered: 05/31/2024)
2024-05-31MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 9 Joint Status Report, the Court ORDERS the parties to file another JSR on or before July 30, 2024, updating the Court on the status of this case. SO ORDERED . Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 5/31/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 05/31/2024)
2024-07-3010NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Alane Ballweg on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY Substituting for attorney Patrick Doyle (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Service)(Ballweg, Alane) (Entered: 07/30/2024)
2024-07-3011STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order, # 2 Certificate of Service)(Ballweg, Alane) (Entered: 07/30/2024)
2024-08-02MINUTE ORDER: In light of the 11 Status Report, the Court ORDERS the parties to file a Joint Status Report on or before September 30, 2024. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 8/2/2024. (lctnm3) (Entered: 08/02/2024)
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