Case Detail

FOIA Project Annotation: A federal court in California has ruled that the Department of Interior properly withheld identifying information contained in an Inspector General's report that found the agency had incorrectly coded $5.7 million in contracts awarded to large businesses as small business contracts. The American Small Business League requested the information and indicated it would contact various contract officers in a follow-up investigation. The agency argued that disclosure would cause embarrassment and humiliation and that staff would be less candid in the future if individuals knew their personal information would be disclosed. While ASBL contended that disclosure would foster public scrutiny, the agency pointed out that thhttp://test.foiaproject.org/annotate2/#dockete report itself had already been disclosed and release of personal information would not increase public understanding. The court agreed with the agency, noting that "revelation of mere names, titles, and contact information of the employees will not 'appreciably further the public's right to monitor the agency's action. The [court] recognizes the need for accountability and for the public to be able to 'know what their government is up to,' but here, where mere contracting officers have made data entry mistakes or relied on incorrect determinations made by other agencies, the Court concludes that invasion of their privacy is not warranted."
Issues: Exemption 6 - Invasion of privacy

Date Filed	Doc #	Docket Text
2011-04-19	1	COMPLAINT (summons issued) against United States Department of the Interior ( Filing fee $ 350, receipt number 34611058837.). Filed byAmerican Small Business League. (vlk, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/19/2011) (Additional attachment(s) added on 4/21/2011: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet) (vlk, COURT STAFF). (Entered: 04/21/2011)
2011-04-19		CASE DESIGNATED for Electronic Filing. (vlk, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/19/2011) (Entered: 04/21/2011)
2011-04-19	2	ADR SCHEDULING ORDER: Case Management Statement due by 7/20/2011. Case Management Conference set for 7/27/2011 01:30 PM. (Attachments: # 1 Standing Order)(vlk, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/19/2011) (Entered: 04/21/2011)
2011-04-19	3	Summons Issued as to United States Department of the Interior. (vlk, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/19/2011) (vlk, COURT STAFF). (Entered: 04/21/2011)
2011-05-31	4	Defendant's ANSWER to 1 Complaint for Injunctive Relief Under the Freedom of Information Act byUnited States Department of the Interior. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 5/31/2011) Modified on 6/1/2011 (vlkS, COURT STAFF). (Entered: 05/31/2011)
2011-05-31	5	CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE by United States Department of the Interior re 4 Answer to Complaint (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 5/31/2011) (Entered: 05/31/2011)
2011-06-16	6	CLERK'S NOTICE TO PARTIES re: Consent or Declination to Proceed before a U.S. Magistrate Judge (ig, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/16/2011) (Entered: 06/17/2011)
2011-06-29	7	Declination to Proceed Before a U.S. Magistrate Judge by American Small Business League. (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 6/29/2011) (Entered: 06/29/2011)
2011-06-29	8	CLERK'S NOTICE of Impending Reassignment to U.S. District Judge (ig, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/29/2011) (Entered: 06/30/2011)
2011-07-01	9	ORDER REASSIGNING CASE. Case reassigned to Judge Hon. William Alsup for all further proceedings. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu no longer assigned to the case. Signed by the Executive Committee on July 1, 2011. (cjl, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 7/1/2011) (Entered: 07/01/2011)
2011-07-11	10	CLERKS NOTICE SCHEDULING INITIAL CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE ON REASSIGNMENT Case Management Statement due by 7/21/2011. Case Management Conference set for 7/28/2011 03:00 PM before the Honorable William Aslup in Courtroom 9, 19th Floor, San Francisco. (fj, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 7/11/2011) (Entered: 07/11/2011)
2011-07-11	11	SUPPLEMENTAL ORDER TO ORDER SETTING INITIAL CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE re 10 Clerks Notice, (fj, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 7/11/2011) (Entered: 07/11/2011)
2011-07-18	12	ADR Certification (ADR L.R. 3-5 b) of discussion of ADR options (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 7/18/2011) (Entered: 07/18/2011)
2011-07-18	13	Certificate of Interested Entities by American Small Business League (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 7/18/2011) (Entered: 07/18/2011)
2011-07-19	14	ADR Certification (ADR L.R. 3-5 b) of discussion of ADR options (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 7/19/2011) (Entered: 07/19/2011)
2011-07-19	15	JOINT CASE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT ; [Proposed] Order filed by United States Department of the Interior. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 7/19/2011) (Entered: 07/19/2011)
2011-07-19	16	Joint MOTION to be Excused from the Formal ADR Process [Proposed] Order filed by United States Department of the Interior. Responses due by 8/2/2011. Replies due by 8/9/2011. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 7/19/2011) (Entered: 07/19/2011)
2011-07-28	18	Minute Entry: Initial Case Management Conference held on 7/28/2011 before William Alsup (Date Filed: 7/28/2011). (Court Reporter Lydia Zinn.) (dt, COURT STAFF) (Date Filed: 7/28/2011) (Entered: 08/01/2011)
2011-08-01	17	CASE MANAGEMENT SCHEDULING ORDER: Motion Hearing set for 9/29/2011 08:00 AM in Courtroom 9, 19th Floor, San Francisco before Hon. William Alsup. Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment due by 8/18/2011. Defendant's opposition and cross-motion due by 9/1/2011. Plaintiff's reply and opposition due to 9/8/2011. Defendant's reply due by 9/15/2011. Signed by Judge William Alsup on 7/28/2011. (whasec, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 8/1/2011) (Entered: 08/01/2011)
2011-08-01	19	ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION TO BE EXCUSED FROM THE FORMAL ADR PROCESS by Hon. William Alsup granting 16 Motion.(whalc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 8/1/2011) (Entered: 08/01/2011)
2011-08-18	20	MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by American Small Business League. Motion Hearing set for 9/29/2011 08:30 AM in Courtroom 9, 19th Floor, San Francisco before Hon. William Alsup. Responses due by 9/1/2011. Replies due by 9/8/2011. (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 8/18/2011) (Entered: 08/18/2011)
2011-08-18	21	AFFIDAVIT in Support of 20 Motion for Summary Judgment filed by American Small Business League. (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 8/18/2011) Modified on 8/19/2011 (wsn, COURT STAFF). (Entered: 08/18/2011)
2011-09-01	22	RESPONSE (re 20 MOTION for Summary Judgment ) Defendant's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment; Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment with Memorandum of Points and Authorities; and Declaration of Sandra Evans filed byUnited States Department of the Interior. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 9/1/2011) (Entered: 09/01/2011)
2011-09-01	23	Proposed Order re 22 Opposition/Response to Motion, by United States Department of the Interior. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 9/1/2011) (Entered: 09/01/2011)
2011-09-09	24	REPLY (re 20 MOTION for Summary Judgment ) filed byAmerican Small Business League. (Belshaw, Robert) (Filed on 9/9/2011) (Entered: 09/09/2011)
2011-09-15	25	REPLY (re 20 MOTION for Summary Judgment ) filed byUnited States Department of the Interior. (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 9/15/2011) (Entered: 09/15/2011)
2011-09-21	26	NOTICE of Appearance by Juan Dion Walker (Walker, Juan) (Filed on 9/21/2011) (Entered: 09/21/2011)
2011-09-29	27	Minute Entry: Motion Hearing held on 9/29/2011 before William Alsup (Date Filed: 9/29/2011) re 20 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by American Small Business League. (Court Reporter Joan Columbini.) (dt, COURT STAFF) (Date Filed: 9/29/2011) (Entered: 10/05/2011)
2011-10-05	28	ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND GRANTING DEFENDANT'S CROSS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT by Hon. William Alsup entered 20 Motion for Summary Judgment.(whalc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 10/5/2011) (Entered: 10/05/2011)
2011-10-05	29	JUDGMENT by Judge Alsup entered 20 Motion for Summary Judgment (whalc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 10/5/2011) (Entered: 10/05/2011)
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