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Case TitleMAGASSA v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv01952
Date Filed2019-06-28
Date Closed2023-08-11
JudgeJudge Jia M. Cobb
PlaintiffLASSANA MAGASSA
Case DescriptionLassana Magassa submitted a FOIA request to the FBI for records concerning himself. The FBI acknowledged receipt of the request. The FBI disclosed 19 heavily redacted pages. Magassa filed an administrative appeal with the Office of Information Policy. OIP upheld the FBI's initial decision. Magassa then filed suit.
Complaint issues: Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
935 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20535
DefendantFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
AppealD.C. Circuit 23-5235
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Opinion/Order [36]
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-06-281COMPLAINT against FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6224063) filed by Lassana Magassa. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons Requests for Summons)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 06/28/2019)
2019-07-02Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zjd) (Entered: 07/02/2019)
2019-07-022SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zeg) (Entered: 07/02/2019)
2019-07-103RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION served on 7/10/2019, RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 7/8/2019. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/7/2019.) (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Proof of Service, # 2 Exhibit Proof of Service, # 3 Exhibit Proof of Service)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 07/10/2019)
2019-07-114GENERAL ORDER AND GUIDELINES APPLICABLE TO FOIA CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON. The Court will hold the parties and counsel responsible for following these directives, and parties and counsel should pay particular attention to the Court's instructions for processing and production of records, batching motions, and filing exhibits. Failure to adhere to this Order may, when appropriate, result the imposition of sanctions and/or sua sponte denial of non-conforming motions. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 7/11/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 07/11/2019)
2019-08-125MOTION for Leave to File by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Answer)(McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 08/12/2019)
2019-08-13MINUTE ORDER granting 5 Motion for Leave to File Answer Out of Time. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 8/13/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/13/2019)
2019-08-13MINUTE ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. It is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall review this Court's 4 General Order and Guidelines Applicable to FOIA Cases, and promptly confer and file a joint proposed schedule for disclosure or briefing motions for summary judgment, on or before 8/27/2019. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 8/13/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/13/2019)
2019-08-136ANSWER to Complaint by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.(jf) (Entered: 08/14/2019)
2019-08-207NOTICE of Appearance by Leila E. Mustafa on behalf of LASSANA MAGASSA (Mustafa, Leila) (Entered: 08/20/2019)
2019-08-278Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (McBride, Patricia) (Entered: 08/27/2019)
2019-08-28MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 8 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 11/13/2019, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Counsels attention is directed to paragraph 4 of the Appendix to this Courts 4 General Order and Guidelines for FOIA Cases regarding this Courts procedures for oversight of processing and production of records and submission of a proposed briefing schedule once processing and production is complete. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 8/28/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/28/2019)
2019-10-299NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by John Cuong Truong on behalf of FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Substituting for attorney Patricia McBride (Truong, John) (Entered: 10/29/2019)
2019-11-1310Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Truong, John) (Entered: 11/13/2019)
2019-11-15MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 10 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 12/12/2019, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 11/15/2019. (jag) (Entered: 11/15/2019)
2019-12-1211Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Truong, John) (Entered: 12/12/2019)
2019-12-26MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 11 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 2/12/2020, the parties shall file a further joint status report, which shall include a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 12/26/2019. (jag) (Entered: 12/26/2019)
2020-02-1212NOTICE of Appearance by Brenda A. Gonzalez on behalf of FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 02/12/2020)
2020-02-1213Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Gonzalez, Brenda) (Entered: 02/12/2020)
2020-03-02MINUTE ORDER setting briefing schedule for summary judgment: Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 5/15/2020; Plaintiff's Opposition and Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 6/15/2020; Defendant's Reply and Cross-Motion Opposition shall be served on or before 7/15/2020; Plaintiff's Cross-Motion Reply shall be served on or before 7/30/2020; briefs shall be filed as a batch within three (3) business days of the service of the last reply brief authorized by this Minute Order, but in any event no later than the Final Filing Deadline of 9/8/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 3/2/2020. (jag)(jag, ) (Entered: 03/02/2020)
2020-05-1014Consent MOTION to Modify March 2, 2020 Briefing Schedule by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 05/10/2020)
2020-05-13MINUTE ORDER granting 14 Motion to Modify Briefing Schedule. It is hereby ORDERED that the briefing schedule in this matter is modified as follows: Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 7/15/2020; Plaintiff's Opposition and Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 8/15/2020; Defendant's Reply and Cross-Motion Opposition shall be served on or before 9/15/2020; Plaintiff's Cross-Motion Reply shall be served on or before 9/30/2020; briefs shall be filed as a batch within three (3) business days of the service of the last reply brief authorized by this Minute Order, but in any event no later than the Final Filing Deadline of 11/9/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 5/13/2020. (jag) (Entered: 05/13/2020)
2020-07-1315Consent MOTION to Modify May 13, 2020 Briefing Schedule by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 07/13/2020)
2020-07-16MINUTE ORDER. The Appendix to this Court's 4 General Order and Guidelines for FOIA Cases provides that "[t]he parties are permitted to modify the schedule for serving their [summary judgment] filings on each other by consent, and without any Order from this Court." Appendix, 5(a)(i)(3). Indeed, a Court order extending the summary judgment briefing deadlines is only necessary if the proposed changes to the briefing schedule would require an extension of the final filing deadline. See id. 5(a)(ii)(2). Because Defendant has filed an unopposed motion to amend the summary judgment briefing schedule in a manner that would not require any change to the current final filing deadline of 11/9/2020, no Court approval is needed. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that Defendant's 5 Consent Motion to Modify Briefing Schedule is DENIED AS MOOT. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 7/16/2020. (jag) (Entered: 07/16/2020)
2020-08-1816NOTICE of Service of Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 08/18/2020)
2020-09-1717NOTICE SERVICE OF PLAINTIFFS RESPONSE IN OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT by LASSANA MAGASSA (Jump, Christina) (Entered: 09/17/2020)
2020-09-1718NOTICE SERVICE OF MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT by LASSANA MAGASSA (Jump, Christina) (Entered: 09/17/2020)
2020-10-1519MOTION to Withdraw as Attorney Leila E. Mustafa by LASSANA MAGASSA (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order)(Mustafa, Leila) (Entered: 10/15/2020)
2020-10-16MINUTE ORDER granting 19 Motion to Withdraw as Attorney. Attorney Leila E. Mustafa terminated. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 10/16/2020. (jag) (Entered: 10/16/2020)
2020-10-2720NOTICE of Defendant's Service to Plaintiff's Counsel - Defendant's Opposition to Cross Motion for Summary and Reply by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 10/27/2020)
2020-11-0521Consent MOTION for Extension of Time to Complete "Batch Filings" by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 11/05/2020)
2020-11-06MINUTE ORDER granting 21 Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Batch Filings. It is hereby ORDERED that the final filing deadline in this matter is extended to 11/13/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 11/6/2020. (jag) (Entered: 11/06/2020)
2020-11-1322MOTION for Summary Judgment by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts, # 2 Memorandum in Support, # 3 Declaration of Michael Seidel, # 4 Exhibit to Seidel Declaration and Vaughn Index)(Truong, John) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1323RESPONSE re 22 MOTION for Summary Judgment Plaintiff's Response and Memorandum in Opposition filed by LASSANA MAGASSA. (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts Plaintiff's Response to Defendant's Statement of Facts, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1324MOTION for Summary Judgment by LASSANA MAGASSA (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Statement of Facts, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1325REPLY to opposition to motion re 22 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Attachments: # 1 Statement of Facts (Reply), # 2 Declaration of Michael Seidel (Second))(Truong, John) Modified to correct linkage on 11/16/2020 (zrdj). (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1326Memorandum in opposition to re 24 MOTION for Summary Judgment (See ECF No. 25 for declaration) filed by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Truong, John) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1327REPLY to opposition to motion re 24 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by LASSANA MAGASSA. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-11-1328NOTICE of Submitting Ex Parte Declartion In Camera by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (Truong, John) (Entered: 11/13/2020)
2020-12-1429NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF APPEARANCE as to FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. Attorney Brenda A. Gonzalez-Horowitz terminated. (Gonzalez-Horowitz, Brenda) (Entered: 12/14/2020)
2021-06-28Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been elevated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She is therefore no longer assigned to this case, and this matter has been reassigned to the Calendar Committee, which will oversee it until it is assigned to another district judge. Any questions should be directed to Judge Jackson's former deputy clerk, Gwendolyn Franklin, at 202-354-3145 or gwen_franklin@dcd.uscourts.gov. (rj) (Entered: 06/28/2021)
2021-09-1430NOTICE of Appearance by Najmu Mohseen on behalf of LASSANA MAGASSA (Mohseen, Najmu) (Entered: 09/14/2021)
2021-11-15Case directly reassigned to Judge Jia M. Cobb. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been appointed to the D.C. Circuit and is no longer assigned to the case. (rj) (Entered: 11/15/2021)
2022-09-1531NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY by LASSANA MAGASSA (Jump, Christina) (Entered: 09/15/2022)
2022-09-2232ERRATA by LASSANA MAGASSA re 31 NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Exhibit A)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 09/22/2022)
2022-09-2333REPLY re 31 NOTICE OF SUPPLEMENTAL AUTHORITY filed by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Truong, John) (Entered: 09/23/2022)
2022-11-2934MOTION to Withdraw as Attorney by LASSANA MAGASSA. (Mohseen, Najmu) (Entered: 11/29/2022)
2022-11-29MINUTE ORDER re 34 Motion to Withdraw as Attorney: Upon consideration of Plaintiff's Motion, the Court hereby ORDERS that the Motion is GRANTED. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on November 29, 2022. (lcjmc1) (Entered: 11/29/2022)
2023-05-1235MOTION for Hearing by LASSANA MAGASSA. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jump, Christina) (Entered: 05/12/2023)
2023-05-25MINUTE ORDER denying 35 Motion for Hearing: The Court has reviewed the filings in this case and determines that a hearing is not needed at this time. Therefore, the Court ORDERS that Plaintiff's Motion for Hearing is DENIED. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on May 25, 2023. (lcjmc1) (Entered: 05/25/2023)
2023-08-1136MEMORANDUM AND OPINION re 22 Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment and 24 Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment: See document for details. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on August 11, 2023. (lcjmc1) (Entered: 08/11/2023)
2023-08-1137ORDER granting 22 Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment; denying 24 Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment: See document for details. Signed by Judge Jia M. Cobb on August 11, 2023. (lcjmc1) Modified on 8/14/2023, to the word MINUTE. (zgf). (Entered: 08/11/2023)
2023-10-1338NOTICE of Appearance by Samira Elhosary on behalf of LASSANA MAGASSA (Elhosary, Samira) (Entered: 10/13/2023)
2023-10-1339NOTICE of Appearance by Chelsea Gabrielle Glover on behalf of LASSANA MAGASSA (Glover, Chelsea) (Entered: 10/13/2023)
2023-10-1340NOTICE OF APPEAL TO DC CIRCUIT COURT by LASSANA MAGASSA re 36 Memorandum Opinion, 37 Order. Filing fee $ 505, receipt number BDCDC-10417955. Fee Status: Fee Paid. Parties have been notified. (Jump, Christina) Modified to add links on 10/16/2023 (znmw). (Entered: 10/13/2023)
2023-10-1641Transmission of the Notice of Appeal, Order Appealed (Memorandum Opinion), and Docket Sheet to US Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals fee was paid re 40 Notice of Appeal to DC Circuit Court. (znmw) (Entered: 10/16/2023)
2023-10-19USCA Case Number 23-5235 for 40 Notice of Appeal to DC Circuit Court, filed by LASSANA MAGASSA. (znmw) (Entered: 10/19/2023)
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