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Case TitleBUZZFEED INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2019cv02139
Date Filed2019-07-18
Date Closed2020-04-16
JudgeJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson
PlaintiffBUZZFEED, INC.
Case DescriptionBuzzfeed submitted a FOIA request to the Department of State for records concerning communications with the U.S. Embassy in London pertaining to Alexander Perepilcheny, a Russian national who had died in 2012. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Buzzfeed filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2019-07-181COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-6263193) filed by BUZZFEED INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet, # 3 Summons)(Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 07/18/2019)
2019-07-182NOTICE of Appearance by Matthew Topic on behalf of BUZZFEED INC. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 07/18/2019)
2019-07-183LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by BUZZFEED INC. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 07/18/2019)
2019-07-19Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zeg) (Entered: 07/19/2019)
2019-07-194SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zeg) (Entered: 07/19/2019)
2019-08-065NOTICE of Appearance by Merrick Jason Wayne on behalf of BUZZFEED INC. (Wayne, Merrick) (Entered: 08/06/2019)
2019-08-166NOTICE of Appearance by Katherine Boyd Palmer-Ball on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 08/16/2019)
2019-08-207RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE served on 7/31/2019 (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 08/20/2019)
2019-08-208RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 7/29/2019. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 08/20/2019)
2019-08-209RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 7/29/2019. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 8/28/2019. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 08/20/2019)
2019-08-2110GENERAL 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 8/21/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/21/2019)
2019-08-2311NOTICE Regarding Intent to File Answer by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 08/23/2019)
2019-08-2812ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE.(Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 08/28/2019)
2019-08-28MINUTE 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 10 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 9/11/2019. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 8/28/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 08/28/2019)
2019-09-1113Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 09/11/2019)
2019-09-16MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 12/11/2019, 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 9/16/2019. (lckbj1) (Entered: 09/16/2019)
2019-12-1114Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 12/11/2019)
2019-12-26MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 1/24/2020, 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)
2020-01-2415Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 01/24/2020)
2020-01-27MINUTE ORDER setting briefing schedule for summary judgment: Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 3/9/2020; Plaintiff's Opposition and Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment shall be served on or before 4/6/2020; Defendant's Reply and Cross-Motion Opposition shall be served on or before 4/27/2020; Plaintiff's Cross-Motion Reply shall be served on or before 5/18/2020; 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 6/26/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 1/27/2020. (jag) (Entered: 01/27/2020)
2020-02-2616MOTION for Extension of Time to Briefing Schedule by BUZZFEED INC. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 02/26/2020)
2020-02-28MINUTE ORDER. The Appendix to this Court's 10 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, Para. 5(a)(iii). 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. Para. 5(a)(ii)(2). Because Plaintiff has filed an unopposed motion to amend the summary judgment briefing schedule in a manner that would not require any change to the final filing deadline, no Court approval is needed. Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that Plaintiff's 16 Unopposed Motion to Extend the Briefing Schedule is DENIED. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 2/28/2020. (jag) (Entered: 02/28/2020)
2020-04-1017Joint MOTION to Vacate Briefing Schedule by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Palmer-Ball, Katherine) (Entered: 04/10/2020)
2020-04-1618PROVISIONAL ORDER DISMISSING CASE DUE TO SETTLEMENT. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 4/16/2020. (jag) (Entered: 04/16/2020)
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