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Case TitleDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION et al
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2018cv02640
Date Filed2018-11-15
Date Closed2019-12-03
JudgeJudge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
PlaintiffDEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION
Case DescriptionDemocracy Forward Foundation submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration for records concerning deliberations on funding of transit projects. After hearing nothing further from the agency, DFF filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DefendantDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DefendantFEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
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
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2018-11-151COMPLAINT against DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-5793415) filed by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons, # 6 Exhibit A, # 7 Exhibit B, # 8 Exhibit C)(Shah, Nitin) (Entered: 11/15/2018)
2018-11-152LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION (Shah, Nitin) (Entered: 11/15/2018)
2018-11-16Case Assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. (zsb) (Entered: 11/16/2018)
2018-11-163SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zsb) (Entered: 11/16/2018)
2018-11-264RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 11/26/2018. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 12/26/2018.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 11/26/18., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION served on 11/23/2018; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION served on 11/23/2018 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration)(Shah, Nitin) (Entered: 11/26/2018)
2018-11-275ORDER ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 11/27/18. (DM) (Entered: 11/27/2018)
2018-12-266MOTION to Stay All Proceedings in Light of Lapse of Appropriations by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Rogers, Joshua) (Entered: 12/26/2018)
2018-12-267ERRATA by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. (Rogers, Joshua) (Entered: 12/26/2018)
2018-12-27MINUTE ORDERS: The Court has received Defendant U.S. Department of Transportation's 6 Motion for a Stay of All Proceedings in Light of a Lapse of Appropriations, and 7 Errata thereto. With Plaintiff's consent, and in an exercise of the Court's discretion, the Court shall GRANT Defendant's 6 Motion nunc pro tunc . The Court shall STAY nunc pro tunc the deadline for Defendant's answer or other response to the 1 Complaint that was otherwise due by December 26, 2018. A total of five calendar days, two of which were business days, elapsed between the lapse in funding and the deadline for Defendant's answer or other response. Accordingly, the Court shall permit Defendant three business days to file its answer or other response upon the restoration of the U.S. Department of Justice's funding and the resumption of its operations. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on December 27, 2018. (lcckk1) (Entered: 12/27/2018)
2019-01-308ANSWER to Complaint by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.(Rogers, Joshua) (Entered: 01/30/2019)
2019-02-01MINUTE ORDER: In light of the restoration of government funding, the Court shall LIFT the stay in this matter. The Court has received Defendants' 8 Answer to Complaint for Injunctive Relief. The Court shall instruct the parties as to further proceedings in the accompanying Order. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on February 1, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 02/01/2019)
2019-02-019ORDER. The parties shall file the schedule not later than MARCH 4, 2019 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on February 1, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 02/01/2019)
2019-02-2210NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Diana Viggiano Valdivia on behalf of All Defendants (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 02/22/2019)
2019-03-0411Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 03/04/2019)
2019-03-05MINUTE ORDER: The Court has received the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, which indicates that the parties have agreed to a schedule for monthly processing and production and will confer further as needed to narrow the searches. Accordingly, the Court shall adopt the parties' proposal that they file a further Joint Status Report with the Court by JUNE 3, 2019 , regarding the parties' progress. The parties shall file a further Joint Status Report no later than every sixty days thereafter, unless and until the Court orders otherwise. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on March 5, 2019. (lcckk1) (Entered: 03/05/2019)
2019-03-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 6/3/2019, regarding the parties' progress. (dot) (Entered: 03/05/2019)
2019-06-0312Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 06/03/2019)
2019-08-0213Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. (Valdivia, Diana) (Entered: 08/02/2019)
2019-10-0114Joint STATUS REPORT by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Shah, Nitin) (Entered: 10/01/2019)
2019-12-0215STIPULATION of Dismissal by DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION. (Shah, Nitin) (Entered: 12/02/2019)
2019-12-0316ORDER. It is hereby ORDERED that this case is DISMISSED with prejudice. See Order for details. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on December 3, 2019. (lccck1) (Entered: 12/03/2019)
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