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Case TitleAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE v. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2023cv01494
Date Filed2023-05-24
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
PlaintiffAMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
Case DescriptionAmerican Center for Law and Justice submitted two FOIA requests to the FBI for records concerning a memo from the FBI's Richmond Field Office suggesting tradition Catholic ideology was overlapping with the white supremacist movement. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency told ACLJ that the requests fell within the unusual circumstances' exception. After hearing nothing further from the agency, ACLJ filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
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
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2023-05-241COMPLAINT against FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ( Filing fee $ 402 receipt number ADCDC-10092717) filed by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Exhibit, # 3 Exhibit, # 4 Exhibit, # 5 Exhibit, # 6 Exhibit, # 7 Civil Cover Sheet, # 8 Summons, # 9 Summons, # 10 Summons)(Monaghan, John) (Entered: 05/24/2023)
2023-05-242NOTICE of Appearance by John A. Monaghan on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 05/24/2023)
2023-05-243LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE (Monaghan, John) (Entered: 05/24/2023)
2023-05-25Case Assigned to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. (zrtw) (Entered: 05/25/2023)
2023-05-254SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zrtw) (Entered: 05/25/2023)
2023-05-305ORDER ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR CASES ASSIGNED TO JUDGE COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 05/30/23. (DM) (Entered: 05/30/2023)
2023-06-126NOTICE of Appearance by Benjamin Paul Sisney on behalf of AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 06/12/2023)
2023-06-127RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION served on 6/1/2023 (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 06/12/2023)
2023-06-128RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 5/31/2023. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 6/30/2023. (Sisney, Benjamin) (Entered: 06/12/2023)
2023-07-039NOTICE of Appearance by Elizabeth J. Shapiro on behalf of All Defendants (Shapiro, Elizabeth) (Entered: 07/03/2023)
2023-07-0310MOTION for Extension of Time to File Answer re 1 Complaint, nunc pro tunc by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Shapiro, Elizabeth) (Entered: 07/03/2023)
2023-07-0411NOTICE of Consent by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION re 10 Motion for Extension of Time to File Answer (Shapiro, Elizabeth) (Entered: 07/04/2023)
2023-07-05MINUTE ORDER: The Court is in receipt of Defendant's 10 Motion to Extend Time to Respond to Complaint Nunc Pro Tunc . Defendant represents that, due to a processing error at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, counsel for Defendant was only assigned to this FOIA matter on July 3, 2023, four days after Defendant's deadline to answer. In light of this oversight, and due to counsel's recent assignment, Defendant requests an extension of time from June 30, 2023 to July 10, 2023 to respond to Plaintiff's complaint. As Plaintiff consents, and upon a showing of excusable neglect, Defendant's 10 Motion to Extend Time to Respond to Complaint Nunc Pro Tunc is GRANTED , nunc pro tunc . Defendant shall answer or otherwise respond to Plaintiff's complaint on or before July 10, 2023 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on July 5, 2023. (lcckk1) (Entered: 07/05/2023)
2023-07-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Answer to the Complaint 1 due by 7/10/2023. (dot) (Entered: 07/05/2023)
2023-07-0612NOTICE of Appearance by Sarah Suwanda on behalf of All Defendants (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 07/06/2023)
2023-07-1013ANSWER to Complaint by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.(Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 07/10/2023)
2023-07-1714ORDER directing parties to file joint status report on or before August 14, 2023 . Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on July 17, 2023. (lcckk1) (Entered: 07/17/2023)
2023-07-17Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 8/14/2023. (dot) (Entered: 07/20/2023)
2023-08-1415Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 08/14/2023)
2023-08-31MINUTE ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 8 Joint Status Report, the parties shall file their next joint status report on or before October 25, 2023 and, if necessary, another joint status report every ninety days thereafter. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on August 31, 2023. (lcckk1) (Entered: 08/31/2023)
2023-08-31Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 10/25/2023 and, if necessary, another joint status report every ninety days thereafter. (dot) (Entered: 09/18/2023)
2023-10-2516Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 10/25/2023)
2024-01-2317Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 01/23/2024)
2024-04-2218Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 04/22/2024)
2024-07-2219Joint STATUS REPORT by FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. (Suwanda, Sarah) (Entered: 07/22/2024)
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