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Case TitleJUDICIAL WATCH, INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv02218
Date Filed2018-09-25
Date Closed2019-12-10
JudgeJudge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
PlaintiffJUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Case DescriptionJudicial Watch submitted a FOIA request to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for records 1,900 pages of records the agency had said were non-responsive to another suit. 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 JUSTICE
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

2018-09-251COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5704671) filed by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, # 3 Summons U.S. Attorney General, # 4 Summons U.S. Department of Justice)(Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/25/2018)
2018-09-252NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. Case related to Case No. 17-600. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/25/2018)
2018-09-253LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/25/2018)
2018-09-27Case Assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. (zsb) (Entered: 09/27/2018)
2018-09-274REQUEST FOR SUMMONS TO ISSUE (Corrected Summonses) re 1 Complaint, filed by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. Related document: 1 Complaint, filed by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC..(Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/27/2018)
2018-09-275SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (td) (Additional attachment(s) added on 9/27/2018: # 1 Notice and Consent) (zmd). (Entered: 09/27/2018)
2018-10-026ORDER ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 10/2/2018. (DM) (Entered: 10/02/2018)
2018-10-237ENTERED IN ERROR.....RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 10/23/2018. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 11/22/2018.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 10/23/2018., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 10/23/2018 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Cristina Rotaru)(Fedeli, Chris) Modified on 10/24/2018 (jf). (Entered: 10/23/2018)
2018-10-238RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 10/23/2018. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 11/22/2018.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 10/23/2018., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 10/23/2018 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Cristina Rotaru)(Fedeli, Chris) Modified text DOJ on 10/25/2018 (ztd). (Entered: 10/23/2018)
2018-10-24NOTICE OF CORRECTED DOCKET ENTRY: Document No. re 7 Summons Returned Executed in FOIA as to U.S. Attorney, Summons Returned Executed as to U.S. Attorney General, Summons Returned Executed as to Federal Defendant was entered in error and refiled by counsel. (See Docket Entry 8 to view document) (jf) (Entered: 10/24/2018)
2018-11-209ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Hendry, Melanie) (Entered: 11/20/2018)
2018-11-2910ORDER. The parties shall file the schedule not later than JANUARY 4, 2019 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on November 29, 2018. (lcckk1) (Entered: 11/29/2018)
2018-11-29Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report proposing a Schedule for proceeding in this matter due by 1/4/2019. (dot) (Entered: 11/30/2018)
2019-01-0211Consent MOTION to Stay in Light of Lapse in Appropriations by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Hendry, Melanie) (Entered: 01/02/2019)
2019-01-02MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received Defendant U.S. Department of Justice's 11 Consent Motion to Stay Proceedings in Light of Lapse of Appropriations. With Plaintiff's consent, and in an exercise of the Court's discretion, the Court shall GRANT Defendant's 11 Motion. The Court shall STAY the deadline for the Joint Status Report otherwise due by January 4, 2019. The deadline is tolled commensurate with the length of the lapse of appropriations to the U.S. Department of Justice. The parties shall file a notice within two business days of the restoration of the Department's funding and the resumption of its operations. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on January 2, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 01/02/2019)
2019-01-3012NOTICE re Restoration of Funding (Joint) by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 01/30/2019)
2019-01-31MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 12 Joint Notice of Restoration of Funding. Accordingly, the Court hereby LIFTS the stay in this matter. The Court shall adopt the parties' proposed revised deadline for their forthcoming Joint Status Report, which shall be submitted by FEBRUARY 14, 2019 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on January 31, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 01/31/2019)
2019-02-1413Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Hendry, Melanie) (Entered: 02/14/2019)
2019-02-1414PROPOSED BRIEFING SCHEDULE by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; (See docket entry no. 13 to view document.) (ztd) (Entered: 02/14/2019)
2019-02-15MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 13 Joint Proposed Schedule and Status Report, which indicates that processing has begun and that an initial production is anticipated on or before March 15, 2019. The Court shall adopt the parties' proposal that they file a further Joint Status Report by APRIL 2, 2019 , regarding the status of processing and production. The parties shall continue to file Joint Status Reports every thirty days thereafter, unless and until the Court orders otherwise. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on February 15, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 02/15/2019)
2019-02-15Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 4/2/2019, regarding the status of processing and production. (dot) (Entered: 02/19/2019)
2019-04-0115Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 04/01/2019)
2019-04-3016Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Hendry, Melanie) (Entered: 04/30/2019)
2019-05-01MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 15 16 Joint Status Reports, which indicate that processing and production are ongoing. In response to a request for a variance in the deadline for the parties' next Joint Status Report, the Court shall adopt the parties' proposal that they submit a further Joint Status Report on or before JUNE 17, 2019 , regarding the status of processing and production. The parties shall continue to file Joint Status Reports every thirty days thereafter, unless and until the Court orders otherwise. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on May 1, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 05/01/2019)
2019-05-01Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/17/2019, regarding the status of processing and production. (dot) (Entered: 05/01/2019)
2019-06-1717Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Hendry, Melanie) (Entered: 06/17/2019)
2019-07-1718Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 07/17/2019)
2019-08-0719NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by John Moustakas on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Substituting for attorney Melanie Hendry (Moustakas, John) (Entered: 08/07/2019)
2019-08-1320Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Moustakas, John) (Entered: 08/13/2019)
2019-09-1621Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 09/16/2019)
2019-09-1722ORDERED that Defendant will release the approximately 1100 pages of remaining records in rolling productions, with the first production to be made no later than October 7, 2019, the second production no later than November 7, 2019, and completing the release of all responsive non-exempt portions of the 1100 pages no later than December 5, 2019. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 9/17/19. (dot) (Entered: 09/18/2019)
2019-10-1623Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 10/16/2019)
2019-11-1824Joint STATUS REPORT by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 11/18/2019)
2019-12-0925STIPULATION of Dismissal (Joint) by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Fedeli, Chris) (Entered: 12/09/2019)
2019-12-1026ORDER. The Court has received the parties' 25 Joint Stipulation of Dismissal. The parties stipulate to the dismissal of this action with prejudice, with each party to bear its own costs, fees, and expenses pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(ii). Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that this case is DISMISSED with prejudice. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on December 10, 2019. (lccck1) (Entered: 12/10/2019)
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