We have added 132 documents from 21 FOIA cases filed between August 5, 2018 and August 11, 2018. 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.
- BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW et al v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (filed Aug 8, 2018)
The Brennan Center for Justice submitted FOIA requests to the Department of Justice for records from the LIONS database involving public charges listed under six categories related to terrorism. The Brennan Center also requested expedited processing and a fee waiver. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request read more…
We have added 6 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between August 5, 2018 and August 11, 2018. 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.
- CAE 2:2018cv01133 — Estate of Joseph Arleo et al v. Internal Revenue Service
- August 10, 2018: ORDER signed by District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr on 8/9/2018 ORDERING this action DISMISSED with prejudice; and The parties shall bear their own costs and fees associated with this action. CASE CLOSED (Washington, S)
During the month of June 2018 federal district courts saw a total of 65 new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits filed under 5 U.S.C. 552. To place this number in perspective, 65 new filings compares with a monthly average of 70 filings during the last 12 months. This month’s total brought overall FOIA filings on an annual basis for these last 12 months to 839.
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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We have added 132 documents from 17 FOIA cases filed between July 29, 2018 and August 4, 2018. 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.
- WESTERN VALUES PROJECT v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (filed Jul 30, 2018)
Western Values Project submitted ten FOIA requests to the Department of the Interior for records concerning potential conflicts of interest involving Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. The agency acknowledged receipt of the requests, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, Western Values Project filed suit read more…
We have added 8 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between July 29, 2018 and August 4, 2018. These are associated with 8 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 1:2017cv00940 — LANTZ v. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE et al
- July 31, 2018: MEMORANDUM OPINION re [19] Order. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 7/31/2018. (lccrc1)
We have added 106 documents from 17 FOIA cases filed between July 22, 2018 and July 28, 2018. 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.
- LORANCE v. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (filed Jul 22, 2018)
Clint Lorance submitted a FOIA request to the Department of the Army for records concerning an investigation of four Afghani men. The agency acknowledged receipt of the records. It later told Lorance that its Office of Provost Marshal General had found no records. Lorance filed an administrative appeal of that decision read more…
We have added 6 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between July 22, 2018 and July 28, 2018. 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 1:2016cv01115 — BUTLER v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR et al
- July 26, 2018: MEMORANDUM OPINION re [26] Order. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 7/26/2018. (lccrc3)
The annual number of lawsuits filed by news organizations and reporters to obtain federal government records was up sharply during the first year and a half of the Trump Administration. On an annual basis, news media Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) filings rose above 100 for the first time. See Figure 1. This is a dramatic increase compared with levels during the presidency of George W. Bush and the first term of President Obama when the annual number of media FOIA suits usually fluctuated year-by-year between 10 and 20 filings[1].
Figure 1. Growth in FOIA Lawsuits Filed by Reporters and News Organizations through June 2018
While FOIA suits brought by nonprofit organizations and others has also grown during this same period, news media lawsuits seeking federal government records have grown the fastest, and during the first year and a half of the Trump Administration now account for 10.7 percent of all FOIA filings. This compares with only a 3.1 percent share filed by the news media during the first term of President George W. Bush. read more…
We have added 57 documents from 8 FOIA cases filed between July 15, 2018 and July 21, 2018. 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.
- CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES v. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (filed Jul 16, 2018)
The Center for Immigration Services submitted a FOIA request to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for an Excel spreadsheet providing data contained on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications. The agency acknowledged receipt of the request, but after hearing nothing further from the agency, the Center for Immigration Studies filed suit read more…
We have added 7 decisions of a procedural or substantive nature filed between July 15, 2018 and July 21, 2018. These are associated with 7 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 4:2017cv05273 — Sierra Club v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security et al
- July 16, 2018: STIPULATION AND ORDER re [31] STIPULATION WITH PROPOSED ORDER re [28] Stipulation and Order. Set Deadlines/Hearings, Terminate Hearings. filed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Sierr a Club. Case Management Statement due by 8/14/2018. Further Case Management Conference set for 8/21/2018 01:30 PM in Oakland, Courtroom 4, 3rd Floor. Signed by Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore on 7/16/18. (sisS, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 7/16/2018)
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