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Case TitleREPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv00345
Date Filed2018-02-14
Date Closed2019-02-16
JudgeJudge Richard J. Leon
PlaintiffREPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
Case DescriptionThe Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press submitted a multi-part FOIA request to the FBI for records concerning the agency's policies for impersonating members of the news media. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request and broke the request down into separate requests. The FBI told the Reporters Committee that it was placing its requests on its complex track for processing. After hearing nothing further from the agency, the Reporters Committee filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
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

2018-02-141COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5333522) filed by REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet, # 6 Summons FBI Summons, # 7 Summons DOJ Summons, # 8 Summons US Attorney General Summons, # 9 Summons US Attorney Summons)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/14/2018)
2018-02-142NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. Case related to Case No. 1:15-cv-01392. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/14/2018)
2018-02-153NOTICE of Appearance by Adam Alexander Marshall on behalf of REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (Marshall, Adam) (Entered: 02/15/2018)
2018-02-154SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zsth) (Entered: 02/15/2018)
2018-02-15Case Assigned to Judge Richard J. Leon. (zsth) (Entered: 02/15/2018)
2018-02-165NOTICE of Appearance by Jennifer Anne Nelson on behalf of REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (Nelson, Jennifer) (Entered: 02/16/2018)
2018-02-266RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 2/21/2018. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 3/23/2018. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/26/2018)
2018-02-267RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 2/21/2018 (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/26/2018)
2018-02-268RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION served on 2/21/2018 (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 02/26/2018)
2018-03-079NOTICE of Appearance by Jason Todd Cohen on behalf of All Defendants (Cohen, Jason) (Entered: 03/07/2018)
2018-03-0810RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 3/7/2018. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 03/08/2018)
2018-03-0911MOTION to Consolidate Cases by REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 03/09/2018)
2018-03-2312NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Joseph C. Dugan on behalf of All Defendants Substituting for attorney Jason Todd Cohen (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 03/23/2018)
2018-03-2313ANSWER to 1 Complaint by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Dugan, Joseph) Modified to add link on 3/26/2018 (znmw). (Entered: 03/23/2018)
2018-03-2314Memorandum in opposition to re 11 MOTION to Consolidate Cases filed by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 03/23/2018)
2018-03-2315STANDING ORDER. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 3/23/2018. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 03/23/2018)
2018-03-3016REPLY to opposition to motion re 11 MOTION to Consolidate Cases filed by REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 03/30/2018)
2018-05-0317MEET AND CONFER STATEMENT. (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 05/03/2018)
2018-05-28MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of 17 Joint Meet and Confer Statement, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall file a joint status report with the Court on or before June 1, 2018. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 5/28/2018. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 05/28/2018)
2018-05-28Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/1/2018. (jth) (Entered: 05/28/2018)
2018-06-0118Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 06/01/2018)
2018-07-2019Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 07/20/2018)
2018-08-2220Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 08/22/2018)
2018-09-2121Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 09/21/2018)
2018-10-0422NOTICE of Change of Address by KatieLynn Boyd Townsend (Townsend, KatieLynn) (Entered: 10/04/2018)
2018-10-1223NOTICE of Change of Address by Joseph C. Dugan (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 10/12/2018)
2018-11-2124Joint MOTION for Briefing Schedule by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 11/21/2018)
2018-11-28MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 24 Joint Motion for Briefing Schedule, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. It is further ORDERED that the following schedule will govern the above-captioned case: (1) defendants' motion for summary judgment shall be due on or before December 19, 2018; (2) plaintiff's cross-motion for summary judgment and response in opposition to defendants' motion, if any, shall be due on or before January 25, 2019; (3) defendants' response in opposition to plaintiff's cross-motion and reply in support of defendants' motion, if any, shall be due on or before February 15, 2019; (4) plaintiff's reply in support of its cross-motion, if any, shall be due on or before March 1, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 11/28/18. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 11/28/2018)
2018-11-28Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendants' motion for summary judgment is due by 12/19/2018; Plaintiff's opposition and any cross-motion is due by 1/25/2019; Defendants' reply and any cross-opposition is due by 2/15/2019; Plaintiff's reply in support of its cross-motion, if any, is due by 3/1/2019. (jth) (Entered: 11/28/2018)
2018-12-1225Joint MOTION to Vacate Summary Judgment Briefing Schedule and to Schedule Joint Status Report by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 12/12/2018)
2018-12-19MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' joint 25 Motion to Vacate the Summary Judgment Briefing Schedule and to Schedule a Further Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. It is further ORDERED that the summary judgment briefing schedule entered by Minute Order on November 28, 2018, is VACATED. The parties are DIRECTED to file a joint status report on or before January 18, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 12/19/2018. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 12/19/2018)
2018-12-19Set/Reset Deadlines: The parties are directed to file a joint status report by 1/18/2019. (jth) (Entered: 12/27/2018)
2019-01-1526Consent MOTION to Stay Proceedings in Light of Lapse of Appropriations by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 01/15/2019)
2019-01-21MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of defendants' consent 26 Motion to Stay Proceedings, it is hereby ORDERED that defendants' motion is GRANTED. It is further ORDERED that all proceedings in this matter are STAYED pending the restoration of appropriations to the Department of Justice and that, following such restoration of appropriations, the deadline for the parties' pending joint status report shall be extended by a period commensurate with the duration of the lapse in appropriations. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 1/21/2019. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 01/21/2019)
2019-01-2827NOTICE of Restoration of Appropriations by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE re Order on Motion to Stay,, (Dugan, Joseph) (Entered: 01/28/2019)
2019-02-11MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's 11 Motion to Consolidate Cases, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 42(a) (permitting consolidation of actions "involv[ing] a common question of law or fact"). It is further ORDERED that Case Nos. 1:15-cv-1392 and 1:18-cv-345 are consolidated for all purposes. The parties are directed to make all future filings in Case No. 1:15-cv-1392, and the Clerk is directed to administratively close Case No. 1:18-cv-345. This Order does not change the parties' due date for their next joint status report, which is currently set for February 22, 2019. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 2/11/2019. (lcrjl2) (Entered: 02/11/2019)
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