Skip to content

Case Detail

[Subscribe to updates]
Case TitleJUDICIAL WATCH, INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2014cv01971
Date Filed2014-11-21
Date Closed2015-12-19
JudgeJudge Amy Berman Jackson
PlaintiffJUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Case DescriptionJudicial Watch submitted a FOIA request to the Office of Information Policy for records concerning meetings between Al Sharpton and Attorney General Eric Holder. OIP acknowledged receipt of the request and took an extension. Judicial Watch also submitted a FOIA request to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for records of any meetings between Sharpton and Civil Rights Division head Tom Perez or others in the Civil Rights Division. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request, but after hearing nothing further, Judicial Watch filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, 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

2014-11-211COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-3913776) 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 DOJ)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 11/21/2014)
2014-11-212LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 11/21/2014)
2014-11-21Case Assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. (sth, ) (Entered: 11/24/2014)
2014-11-243SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Summons, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons)(sth, ) (Entered: 11/24/2014)
2014-11-254MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Lauren M. Burke, :Firm- Judicial Watch, Inc., :Address- 425 3rd Street, SW Washington, D.C. 20024. Phone No. - 202-646-5194. Fax No. - 202-646-5199 Filing fee $ 100, receipt number 0090-3917157. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Burke, Lauren) (Entered: 11/25/2014)
2014-11-25MINUTE ORDER granting 4 Motion for Leave of Lauren M. Burke to Appear Pro Hac Vice only upon condition that the lawyer admitted, or at least one member of the lawyer's firm, undergo CM/ECF training, obtain a CM/ECF username and password, and agree to file papers electronically. No court papers will be mailed to any lawyer. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/25/14. (DMK) (Entered: 11/25/2014)
2014-12-195RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 12/1/2014. ( Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 12/31/2014.), RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 12/01/2014., RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 12/1/2014 (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of C. Rotaru)(Orfanedes, Paul) (Entered: 12/19/2014)
2014-12-226MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response Pleading by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (jf, ) (Entered: 12/23/2014)
2014-12-23MINUTE ORDER granting 6 Motion for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply. Defendant's responsive pleading is due on or before January 30, 2015. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 12/23/2014. (lcabj2) (Entered: 12/23/2014)
2014-12-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant's Answer or otherwise Responsive pleading to the Complaint is now due by 1/30/2015. (jth) (Entered: 12/24/2014)
2015-01-307ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 01/30/2015)
2015-02-028ORDER. Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. The requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure appear to be inapplicable. Defendant shall file a dispositive motion or, in the alternative, a report setting forth the schedule according to which it will complete its production of documents to plaintiff on or before March 2, 2015. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 2/2/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 02/02/2015)
2015-02-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant shall file a dispositive motion or, in the alternative, a report setting forth the schedule according to which it will complete its production of documents to Plaintiff by 3/2/2015. (jth) (Entered: 02/02/2015)
2015-03-029STATUS REPORT AND SCHEDULE OF PRODUCTION by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/02/2015)
2015-03-02MINUTE ORDER. In light of 9 defendant's status report, it is ORDERED that defendant shall submit a further status report and a schedule for production of documents for the FOIA request submitted to OIP on or before April 1, 2015. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 3/2/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 03/02/2015)
2015-03-02Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant's further Status Report and a schedule for production of documents for the FOIA request submitted to OIP due by 4/1/2015 (tg, ) (Entered: 03/02/2015)
2015-04-0110STATUS REPORT AND SCHEDULE OF PRODUCTION by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 04/01/2015)
2015-04-02MINUTE ORDER. In light of 10 defendant's status report, it is ORDERED that defendant submit a report and schedule for production of documents for the FOIA request submitted to OIP on or before July 1, 2015. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 4/2/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 04/02/2015)
2015-04-05Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant to submit a Report and Schedule for the Production of Documents for the FOIA request submitted to Defendant's Office of Information Policy by 7/1/2015. (jth) (Entered: 04/05/2015)
2015-07-0111STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 07/01/2015)
2015-07-02MINUTE ORDER. In light of 11 defendant's status report, it is ordered that defendant shall submit another status report on or before August 12, 2015. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 7/2/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 07/02/2015)
2015-07-04Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant' Status Report is due by 8/12/2015. (jth) (Entered: 07/04/2015)
2015-08-1212STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 08/12/2015)
2015-08-17MINUTE ORDER. 9 Defendant's first status report, in which it stated that it needed to consult with other agencies in responding to plaintiff's request, was filed on March 2, 2015. At that time, defendant stated that there were 3,000 pages of potentially responsive material. Since that date, there have been virtually identical reports filed on 10 April 1, 2015, 11 July 1, 2015, and most recently, 12 August 12, 2015, repeating that defendant had to consult with other agencies concerning 300 pages of material. At this point, defendant requests to file another status report on October 1, 2015, but the Court is concerned that this process is taking too long given the relatively manageable nature of the request. Thus, it is ORDERED that defendant shall file another report on September 15, 2015, advising the Court of the status of the review of documents responsive to plaintiff's request. If that report does not include a schedule for the production of the remaining records, a more thorough explanation for the delay must be provided. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 8/17/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 08/17/2015)
2015-08-18Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant's Status Report is due by 9/15/2015. (jth) (Entered: 08/18/2015)
2015-09-1513STATUS REPORT and Schedule of Production by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 09/15/2015)
2015-09-16MINUTE ORDER. In light of 13 defendant's status report, it is ORDERED that defendant shall complete its production of responsive, non-exempt documents to plaintiff by September 29, 2015. It is FURTHER ORDERED that the parties shall file a joint report on or before October 13, 2015, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 9/16/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 09/16/2015)
2015-09-16Set/Reset Deadlines: Defendant shall complete its production of responsive, non-exempt documents to the Plaintiff by 9/29/2015. The parties shall file a Joint Status Report, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule by 10/13/2015. (jth) (Entered: 09/16/2015)
2015-10-1314Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 10/13/2015)
2015-10-14MINUTE ORDER. In light of 14 defendant's status report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a joint report on or before November 10, 2015, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 10/14/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 10/14/2015)
2015-10-14Set/Reset Deadlines: The parties shall file a Joint Status Report, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule by 11/10/2015. (jth) (Entered: 10/14/2015)
2015-11-1015Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Kade, Elizabeth) (Entered: 11/10/2015)
2015-11-12MINUTE ORDER. In light of 15 the parties' joint status report, it is ORDERED that the parties shall file a further joint report on or before December 18, 2015, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 11/12/2015. (lcabj2) (Entered: 11/12/2015)
2015-11-13Set/Reset Deadlines: The parties shall file a Joint Status Report, informing the Court whether there are any issues that remain to be resolved, and if so, setting forth a proposed briefing schedule by 12/18/2015. (jth) (Entered: 11/13/2015)
2015-12-1816STIPULATION of Dismissal by JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.. (Burke, Lauren) (Entered: 12/18/2015)
Hide Docket Events
by FOIA Project Staff
Skip to toolbar