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Case TitleBUZZFEED INC. v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2020cv02593
Date Filed2020-09-15
Date ClosedOpen
JudgeJudge Ana C. Reyes
PlaintiffBUZZFEED INC.
Case DescriptionBuzzFeed submitted a FOIA request to the Department of Justices' Criminal Division for records concerning filings by Archer Daniels Midland as part of a non-prosecution agreement signed in December 2013. The agency acknowledged the request. The agency told BuzzFeed that the request was being placed in the complex track for processing. After hearing nothing further from the agency, BuzzFeed filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Adequacy - Search, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantU.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2020-09-151COMPLAINT against U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number ADCDC-7593756) filed by BUZZFEED INC.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Civil Cover Sheet, # 5 Summons)(Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-09-152NOTICE of Appearance by Matthew Topic on behalf of BUZZFEED INC. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-09-153LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by BUZZFEED INC. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 09/15/2020)
2020-09-16Case Assigned to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. (zsb) (Entered: 09/16/2020)
2020-09-174SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmc) (Entered: 09/17/2020)
2020-09-185GENERAL 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 9/18/2020. (jag) (Entered: 09/18/2020)
2020-10-086NOTICE of Appearance by Benton Gregory Peterson on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 10/08/2020)
2020-10-127RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE served on 9/28/2020 (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 10/12/2020)
2020-10-128RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 9/28/20. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 10/12/2020)
2020-10-129RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 9/28/2020. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 10/28/2020. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 10/12/2020)
2020-10-2810ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 10/28/2020)
2020-11-0411Amended ANSWER to Complaint by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.(Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 11/04/2020)
2020-11-04MINUTE 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 5 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 11/18/2020. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 11/4/2020. (jag) (Entered: 11/04/2020)
2020-11-1812Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Peterson, Benton) (Entered: 11/18/2020)
2020-11-20MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 12 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 12/18/2020, 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 11/20/2020. (jag) (Entered: 11/20/2020)
2020-12-1813Joint STATUS REPORT by BUZZFEED INC.. (Topic, Matthew) (Entered: 12/18/2020)
2020-12-2014NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL by Thomas Duffey on behalf of U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Substituting for attorney Benton Peterson (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 12/20/2020)
2020-12-21MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 13 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 1/20/2021, 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 12/21/2020. (jag) (Entered: 12/21/2020)
2021-01-2015Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 01/20/2021)
2021-01-21MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 15 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 3/22/2021, 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 1/21/2021. (jag) (Entered: 01/21/2021)
2021-03-2216Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 03/22/2021)
2021-03-24MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 16 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that on or before 5/21/2021, 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 3/24/2021. (jag) Modified on 3/25/2021, to make a correction. (zgdf). (Entered: 03/24/2021)
2021-05-2117Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 05/21/2021)
2021-05-21MINUTE ORDER. In light of the representations in the parties' 17 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that, on or before 7/21/2021, the parties shall file further joint status report, which shall contain a proposed schedule for further proceedings if litigation is going to be necessary. Signed by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on 5/21/2021. (jag) (Entered: 05/21/2021)
2021-06-22Judge 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: 06/22/2021)
2021-07-2118Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 07/21/2021)
2021-07-23MINUTE ORDER (paperless) DIRECTING, upon consideration of the parties' 18 Joint Status Report, the parties to submit a joint status report by September 21, 2021. Signed by Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell on July 23, 2021. (lcbah4) (Entered: 07/23/2021)
2021-07-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Status Report due by 9/21/2021. (zgdf) (Entered: 07/23/2021)
2021-09-2119Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 09/21/2021)
2021-09-22MINUTE ORDER (paperless) DIRECTING, upon consideration of the parties' 19 Joint Status Report, the parties to submit a joint status report by November 22, 2021. Signed by Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell on September 22, 2021. (lcbah4) (Entered: 09/22/2021)
2021-09-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 11/22/2021. (zalh) (Entered: 09/23/2021)
2021-10-01Case directly reassigned to Judge Florence Y. Pan. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been appointed to the D.C. Circuit and is no longer assigned to the case. (rj) (Entered: 10/01/2021)
2021-11-2220Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-24MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 20 Joint Status Report, the parties are directed to file another joint status report on or before January 22, 2022. Signed by Judge Florence Y. Pan on 11/24/21. (lcrl) (Entered: 11/24/2021)
2021-11-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 1/22/2022. (zacr) (Entered: 11/24/2021)
2022-01-2121Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 01/21/2022)
2022-01-24MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 21 Joint Status Report, the parties are directed to file another joint status report on or before March 22, 2022. Signed by Judge Florence Y. Pan on 1/24/2022. (lcrl) (Entered: 01/24/2022)
2022-01-24Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 3/22/2022. (zacr) (Entered: 01/24/2022)
2022-03-2222NOTICE of Appearance by Joshua Loevy on behalf of BUZZFEED INC. (Loevy, Joshua) (Entered: 03/22/2022)
2022-03-2223Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 03/22/2022)
2022-03-23MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 23 Joint Status Report, the parties are directed to file another joint status report on or before May 22, 2022, and every 60 days thereafter. Signed by Judge Florence Y. Pan on 3/23/2022. (lcrl) (Entered: 03/23/2022)
2022-03-23Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/22/2022. (zacr) (Entered: 03/23/2022)
2022-05-2124Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 05/21/2022)
2022-07-08MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 24 Joint Status Report, the parties are directed to file another joint status report on or before July 20, 2022. Signed by Judge Florence Y. Pan on 7/8/22. (lckw) (Entered: 07/08/2022)
2022-07-08Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 7/20/2022. (smc) (Entered: 07/08/2022)
2022-07-2025Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 07/20/2022)
2022-07-21MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the parties' 25 Joint Status Report, the parties are directed to file another status report on or before September 26, 2022, and every 60 days thereafter. Signed by Judge Florence Y. Pan on 7/21/22. (lckw) (Entered: 07/21/2022)
2022-07-21Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 9/26/2022. (zsmc) (Entered: 07/21/2022)
2022-09-23Judge Florence Y. Pan 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 Pan's former deputy clerk, Samantha Calloway, at 202-354-3163 or samantha_calloway@dcd.uscourts.gov. (ztnr) (Entered: 09/23/2022)
2022-09-2626Joint STATUS REPORT by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. (Duffey, Thomas) (Entered: 09/26/2022)
2023-02-2127NOTICE of Appearance by Merrick Jason Wayne on behalf of BUZZFEED INC. (Wayne, Merrick) (Entered: 02/21/2023)
2023-02-22RESOLVED...NOTICE of Provisional/Government Not Certified Status re NOTICE of Appearance by Merrick Jason Wayne on behalf of BUZZFEED INC., JASON LEOPOLD (Wayne, Merrick), Your attorney renewal/government certification has not been received. As a result, your membership with the U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia is not in good standing, and you are not permitted to file. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 83.9, you must immediately correct your membership status by following the appropriate instructions on this page of our website: https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/attorney-renewal. Please be advised that the presiding judge in this case has been notified that you are currently not in good standing to file in this court. Renewal Due by 3/1/2023. (zbaj) Modified on 2/23/2023 (znmw). Modified on 3/2/2023 (zbaj). (Entered: 02/22/2023)
2023-02-24Case directly reassigned to District Judge Ana C. Reyes. Circuit Judge Florence Y. Pan is no longer assigned to the case. (ztnr) (Entered: 02/24/2023)
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