We have added 10 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between April 18, 2021 and April 24, 2021. These are associated with 10 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- CAN 4:2020cv07126 — American Small Business League v. United States Office of Management and Budget et al
- April 21, 2021: Order by Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu granting [21] Defendant's Motion to Sever. Plaintiff's claims against Small Business Administration are severed and shall proceed in a separate case. Case Management Statement due by 7/14/2021. Initial Case Management Conference set for 7/21/2021 at 1:30 PM. Signed on 4/21/2021. Signed on 4/21/2021.(dmrlc1S, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 4/21/2021)
We have added 125 documents from 14 FOIA cases filed between April 11, 2021 and April 17, 2021. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California et al v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al (filed Apr 13, 2021)
The ACLU of Northern California, Muente Support Committee, Just Futures Law, and the Immigrant Defense Project submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for records concerning the agency’s contract with Clearview AI to use its facial recognition software read more…
We have added 8 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between April 11, 2021 and April 17, 2021. These are associated with 6 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- NYS 1:2019cv03112 — American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service et al
- April 16, 2021: ORDER: NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby ORDERED that if no notice of appeal is filed within 60 days of the date of this Order, the agencies shall produce the Records within 65 days of the date of this Order. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald on 4/16/2021) (mml)
CONNELL v. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY and 12 other new FOIA lawsuits, plus case descriptions
We have added 70 documents from 10 FOIA cases filed between April 4, 2021 and April 10, 2021. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- CONNELL v. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (filed Apr 7, 2021)
James Connell, a defense attorney, submitted a FOIA request to the CIA for records concerning the detention of Ammar al Baluchi at CIA-run sites from 2003-2007. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Connell filed suit. read more…
We have added 6 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between April 4, 2021 and April 10, 2021. These are associated with 6 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- DC 1:2020cv00631 — COX et al v. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY, et al
- April 6, 2021: MEMORANDUM OPINION accompanying the final order issued separately this day. Signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on 4/6/2021.(psu1)
We have added 52 documents from 10 FOIA cases filed between March 28, 2021 and April 3, 2021. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE v. UNITED STATES ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION (filed Mar 29, 2021)
Free Speech for People submitted four FOIA requests to U.S. Election Assistance Commission for records concerning non-public meetings and communications between the agency and private voting machine vendors. FSP also requested expedited processing and a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests but after hearing nothing further from the agency, FSP filed suit read more…
We have added 22 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between March 28, 2021 and April 3, 2021. These are associated with 20 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- CAE 2:2019cv02429 — (PS) Graham v. U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security et al
- March 31, 2021: ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson on 3/30/2021 GRANTING [14] plaintiff's motion for leave to file an amended complaint. Within 30 days from the date of this order, plaintiff shall file his first amended complaint. DENIED as MOOT Defendants' [10] motion to dismiss. Defendants shall file a response to plaintiff's first amended complaint within the time prescribed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (Reader, L)
We have added 69 documents from 8 FOIA cases filed between March 21, 2021 and March 27, 2021. Note that there can be delays between the date a case is filed and when it shows up on PACER. If there are filings from this period that have yet to be posted on PACER, this FOIA Project list may not be complete.
Click on a case title below to view details for that case, including links to the associated docket and complaint documents.
- Oliver B. Mitchell III v. Lydie L. Hazan, M.D., et al (filed Mar 26, 2021)
Oliver Mitchell submitted a FOIA request to the Food and Drug Administration for records concerning his participation in a clinical trial on syphilis run by Axis Clinical Trials. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Mitchell filed suit. read more…
We have added 13 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between March 21, 2021 and March 27, 2021. These are associated with 13 FOIA cases pending in federal district court. Note that because there can be delays between the date a decision is made and when it shows up on PACER, this listing includes only decisions that appeared on PACER during this period.
Click on the date to view the full text of the decision. Click on a case title below to view other details for that case, including links to the docket report and complaint.
- CAN 3:2019cv00290 — American Civil Liberties Union Foundation et al v. Department of Justice et al
- March 26, 2021: ORDER re SCHEDULE FOR PRODUCTION re [107] Status Report filed by Department of Homeland Security, Department of State. Signed by Judge Robert M. Illman on 03/26/2021. (rmilc2S, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 3/26/2021)
During the month of March 2021 federal district courts saw a total of 71 new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits filed under 5 U.S.C. 552. To place this number in perspective, 71 new filings compares with a monthly average of 60 filings during the last 12 months. This month’s total brought overall FOIA filings on an annual basis for these last 12 months to 719.
The figure below provides a more detailed view of monthly trends during the past five years. The height of each bar reflects the number of filings in that month. To see the actual filing count mouse over any bar. The superimposed line over the bars is the moving 12-month average. It is computed by adding up the 12 months ending at a given month, and then dividing that total by 12 to obtain the monthly average over this period. Mousing over any bar also shows the calculated result for this moving average for that given month.
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