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Case TitleAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2021cv03083
Date Filed2021-11-22
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Tanya S. Chutkan
PlaintiffAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
Case DescriptionThe American Center for Law and Justice submitted FOIA requests to the Department of State, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and U.S. Central Command for records concerning the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. ACLJ also requested expedited processing. The agencies acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agencies, ACLJ filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DefendantOFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
DefendantUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DefendantUNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND
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
Complaint attachment 10
Complaint attachment 11
Complaint attachment 12
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2021-11-221COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-8883742) filed by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A (Plaintiff's FOIA request letter), # 2 Exhibit B (FedEx delivery confirmation), # 3 Exhibit C (Plaintiff email submissions of FOIA request), # 4 Exhibit D (Def. State Dept. response), # 5 Exhibit E (Defs. ODNI and USCENTCOM responses), # 6 Civil Cover Sheet, # 7 Summons to US Attorney General, # 8 Summons to US Attorney for DC, # 9 Summons to Def. US State Dept., # 10 Summons to Def. ODNI, # 11 Summons to Def. DIA, # 12 Summons to Def. USCENTCOM)(Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-222NOTICE of Appearance by Benjamin Paul Sisney on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-223LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-23Case Assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. (zsb) (Entered: 11/23/2021)
2021-11-234SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(adh, ) (Entered: 11/23/2021)
2021-12-155RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 12/14/2021. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 1/13/2022. (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/15/2021)
2021-12-156RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 12/14/2021 (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/15/2021)
2021-12-157RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE served on 12/13/2021 (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/15/2021)
2021-12-168RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 12/15/2021. (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/16/2021)
2021-12-179RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND served on 12/15/2021 (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 12/17/2021)
2022-01-1210NOTICE of Appearance by Thomas Anthony Quinn on behalf of All Defendants (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 01/12/2022)
2022-01-1211Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer re 1 Complaint,, by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 01/12/2022)
2022-01-13MINUTE ORDER: Granting Consent 11 Motion for Extension Deadlines. Defendants shall answer or otherwise respond to the Complaint by February 11, 2022. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 1/13/21. (DJS) (Entered: 01/13/2022)
2022-01-14Set/Reset Deadlines: Answer due by 2/11/2022. (tb) (Entered: 01/14/2022)
2022-02-1112ANSWER to Complaint by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE.(Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 02/11/2022)
2022-02-20MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil procedure appear to be inapplicable. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and propose a schedule for proceeding in this matter. The schedule shall address 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, whether and when either party anticipates filing a dispositive motion, and any other pertinent issues. The parties shall file a joint status report that addresses these issues no later than 4/4/22. The joint status report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 2/20/22. (DJS) (Entered: 02/20/2022)
2022-02-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 4/4/2022. (tb) (Entered: 02/23/2022)
2022-04-0413Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 04/04/2022)
2022-04-28MINUTE ORDER: Having considered the parties' joint status report, it is hereby ordered that the parties shall file a joint status report by June 3, 2022, and every sixty (60) days thereafter. To the extent the report contains a proposal to change the status quo, the report shall be accompanied by a proposed order. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 4/28/22. (DJS) (Entered: 04/28/2022)
2022-05-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/3/2022. (tb) (Entered: 05/02/2022)
2022-05-2714NOTICE of Appearance by John Monaghan on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 05/27/2022)
2022-06-0315Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 06/03/2022)
2022-08-0216Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 08/02/2022)
2022-10-0317Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 10/03/2022)
2022-11-0218Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 11/02/2022)
2023-01-1319Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 01/13/2023)
2023-03-1420Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 03/14/2023)
2023-05-1121Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Quinn, Thomas) (Entered: 05/11/2023)
2023-07-1222Joint MOTION for Extension of Time to File To File Joint Status Report by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Truong, John) Modified on 7/13/2023 to correct relief/docket text (zjm). (Entered: 07/12/2023)
2023-07-17MINUTE ORDER: Granting Plaintiff's 22 Joint Motion for Extension of Time. The Parties shall file a Joint Status Report by July 19, 2023. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 7/17/23. (lcsr) (Entered: 07/17/2023)
2023-07-1923NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Alexander Schreiber on behalf of All Defendants Substituting for attorney Thomas Anthony Quinn (Schreiber, Alexander) (Entered: 07/19/2023)
2023-07-1924Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Schreiber, Alexander) (Entered: 07/19/2023)
2023-09-1825Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Schreiber, Alexander) (Entered: 09/18/2023)
2023-11-1726Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Schreiber, Alexander) (Entered: 11/17/2023)
2024-01-1627Joint STATUS REPORT by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, UNITED STATES CENTERAL COMMAND, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Schreiber, Alexander) (Entered: 01/16/2024)
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