Court Decisions Overview
Each year the federal courts issue hundreds of decisions in FOIA cases, addressing all aspects of the law. These decisions shape the way the law is interpreted and applied by the many attorneys and access professionals across the government who handle FOIA requests, administrative appeals, and litigation. To aid those professionals, and to facilitate greater understanding of the FOIA overall, OIP posts summaries of FOIA decisions to this website.
Although we have designed these summaries to reflect the key aspects of each decision, by their nature these are summaries only, and such things as internal citations and quotations have been omitted. Our goal is to provide readers with an overview of the cases as they are decided during the year, but for a complete understanding of any given case readers are, of course, encouraged to read it in its entirety.
Using the Court Decisions Page
This website includes decisions decided since January 2013. Summaries of decisions decided between May 2009 and December 2012 are available in the Court Decisions Archive. All decisions are presented chronologically, based on the date of issuance, with the most recent decision appearing first. Each decision is tagged topically with the relevant exemption or procedural consideration addressed.
You can view all decisions tagged with a particular topic or court by using the “Topic” drop down menu. For example, to see all cases where Exemption 5 is addressed, select “Exemption 5.”
You can search through each decision summary for keywords or phrases using the “Keyword Search” feature. For example, to see all cases with a particular term, such as “e-mail” or “affirming,” you can type in the term or phrase to retrieve all court decision summaries where it appears. You can also use this feature to locate decisions from a particular court by searching for the court acronym, such as “D.C. Cir” for all decisions from the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
McWatters v. ATF, No. 20-1092, 2024 WL 687966 (D.D.C. Feb. 20, 2024) (Chutkan, J.)
McWatters v. ATF, No. 20-1092, 2024 WL 687966 (D.D.C. Feb. 20, 2024) (Chutkan, J.)
Re: Request for recording which captures nightclub fire and surrounding events that killed 100 people at a concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island in February 2003
Disposition: Granting defendant’s renewed motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s renewed cross-motion for summary judgment; denying...
Jones v. DOD Def. Logistics Agency Def. Supply Ctr., No. 21-288, 2024 WL 712552 (E.D. Va. Feb. 20, 2024) (Lauck, J.)
Jones v. DOD Def. Logistics Agency Def. Supply Ctr., No. 21-288, 2024 WL 712552 (E.D. Va. Feb. 20, 2024) (Lauck, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff
Disposition: Denying plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration
- Litigation Considerations, Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies: The court finds that “[plaintiff’s] contentions flatlined in his first filing and they cannot...
Geddis v. DHS, No. 23-00191, 2024 WL 663357 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Kollar-Kotelly, J.)
Geddis v. DHS, No. 23-00191, 2024 WL 663357 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Kollar-Kotelly, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff
Disposition: Converting defendant’s motion to dismiss into a motion for summary judgment; granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment
- Litigation Considerations, Jurisdiction: The court holds that “[b]ecause Plaintiff has failed to create a dispute of...
Prot. the Pub.’s Trust v. IRS, No. 23-340, 2024 WL 663427 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Lamberth, J.)
Prot. the Pub.’s Trust v. IRS, No. 23-340, 2024 WL 663427 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Lamberth, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning meetings between IRS Commissioner and high-level executives at now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX
Disposition: Granting plaintiff’s motion for attorney fees and costs; awarding plaintiff $17,884.42 in attorney’s fees and costs
- Attorney Fees...
Insider Inc. v. GSA, No. 22-5330, 2024 WL 649240 (D.C. Cir. Feb. 16, 2024) (Childs, J.)
Insider Inc. v. GSA, No. 22-5330, 2024 WL 649240 (D.C. Cir. Feb. 16, 2024) (Childs, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning transition teams of outgoing President and Vice President
Disposition: Affirming government’s motion for summary judgment and denial of requester’s cross-motion for summary judgment
- Exemption 6: The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit relates that...
US Inventor, Inc. v. U.S. Pat. & Trademark Off., No. 21-2894, 2024 WL 663367 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Chutkan, J.)
US Inventor, Inc. v. U.S. Pat. & Trademark Off., No. 21-2894, 2024 WL 663367 (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2024) (Chutkan, J.)
Re: Requests for records concerning United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) Director’s delegations of authority to its Commissioner and to various Administrative Patent Judges
Disposition: Denying plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment; granting defendant’s cross...
Black Hills Clean Water All. v. U.S. Forest Serv., Nos. 20-5034, 21-5072, 2024 WL 626481 (D.S.D. Feb. 14, 2024) (Piersol, J.)
Black Hills Clean Water All. v. U.S. Forest Serv., Nos. 20-5034, 21-5072, 2024 WL 626481 (D.S.D. Feb. 14, 2024) (Piersol, J.)
Re: Requests for records concerning exploratory gold drilling
Disposition: Granting in part and denying in part plaintiff’s consolidated motion for attorney fees and costs
- Attorney Fees, Eligibility: “The Court must first decide whether Plaintiff has...
Sherven v. Nat’l Reconnaissance Off., No. 22-03164, 2024 WL 620444 (D.D.C. Feb. 14, 2024) (Mehta, J.)
Sherven v. Nat’l Reconnaissance Off., No. 22-03164, 2024 WL 620444 (D.D.C. Feb. 14, 2024) (Mehta, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff
Disposition: Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment
- Litigation Considerations, Adequacy of Search: “[T]he court is satisfied that the National Reconnaissance Office (“NRO”)’s...
Anthony v. BOP, No. 22-01558, 2024 WL 578956 (D.D.C. Feb. 13, 2024) (McFadden, J.)
Anthony v. BOP, No. 22-01558, 2024 WL 578956 (D.D.C. Feb. 13, 2024) (McFadden, J.)
Re: Request for copies of complaints he submitted to prison officials as well as documents about correctional officer’s alleged misconduct
Disposition: Granting defendant’s renewed motion for summary judgment
- Exemption 6; Exemption 7(C): The court first analyzes BOP’s Glomar response. The court relates...
Ams. for Prosperity Found. v. Ctrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Servs., No. 21-02021, 2024 WL 578955 (D.D.C. Feb. 13, 2024) (Nichols, J.)
Ams. for Prosperity Found. v. Ctrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Servs., No. 21-02021, 2024 WL 578955 (D.D.C. Feb. 13, 2024) (Nichols, J.)
Re: Request for records concerning Medicaid improper payments
Disposition: Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment
- Litigation Considerations, In Camera Inspection: The court relates that “[t...