Court Decisions

Phillips v. U.S. Bureau of the Census, No. 22-9304, 2024 WL 230854 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 22, 2024) (Rakoff, J.)

Re:  Request for “‘privacy protected noisy data files for both the 2020 Census and the demonstration data pulled from the 2010 Census’”

Disposition:  Denying plaintiff’s motion for attorney fees and costs

• Attorney Fees, Eligibility; Exemption 3:  The court holds that “plaintiff is eligible...

Sanders v. FBI, No. 23-589, 2024 WL 230307 (W.D. Wis. Jan. 22, 2024) (Peterson, J.)

Re:  Request for certain records

Disposition:  Dismissing plaintiff’s complaint without prejudice

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court holds that “[plaintiff’s] amended complaint has several problems.”  “First, [plaintiff] named three federal employees as defendants.”  “But FOIA . . . appl[ies] only...

Bonner v. FBI, No. 21-2166, 2024 WL 216705 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 19, 2024) (Engelmayer, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning detention of Palestinian citizen in wake of September 11, 2001 and still held today at Guantanamo Bay

Disposition:  Denying plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration; granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Exempti...

Hernandez v. DOJ, No. 15-944, 2024 WL 217747 (D.D.C. Jan. 19, 2024) (Cobb, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning plaintiff’s prosecution

Disposition:  Granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Litigation Considerations, Mootness and Other Grounds for Dismissal:  The court relates that “[plaintiff] only asks this Court to determine...

Gun Owners of Am., Inc. v. FBI, No. 22-3379, 2024 WL 195829 (D.D.C. Jan. 18, 2024) (Boasberg, C. J.)

Re:  Request for surveillance video taken by the FBI during the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 7, Threshold:  The court finds that, “[t]o start, because the Bureau is a criminal law-enforcement agency...

Buzzfeed, Inc. v. DOJ, No. 18-1556, 2024 WL 195751 (D.D.C. Jan. 18, 2024) (Chutkan, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning acquisition and use of lethal injection drugs

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s motion for partial reconsideration

• Litigation Considerations, Waiver of Exemptions in Litigation & “Reasonably Segregable” Requirements:  “The court erred in ordering supplemental briefing on...

Bloomberg LP v. FTC, No. 22-3309, 2024 WL 165989 (D.D.C. Jan. 16, 2024) (Contreras, J.)

Re:  Request for all “‘pre-consummation warning letters,’” or “‘close at your own peril’” letters, which are letters sent regarding closing transitions above a certain dollar amount while FTC investigation is still pending, issued by the agency since July 2021

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in...

Child.’s Health Def. v. FDA, No. 23-220, 2024 WL 147851 (D.D.C. Jan. 12, 2024) (Moss, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in part defendant’s motion to stay

• Litigation Considerations, “Open America” Stays of Proceedings:  The court relates that “the...

Kayll v. DHS, No. 22-2830, 2024 WL 81231 (D.D.C. Jan. 8, 2024) (Bates, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning determination that plaintiff is “‘inadmissible’” to enter the United States

Disposition:  Granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s cross-motion for summary judgment

• Procedural Requirements, “Agency Records”:  The court relates that “[t]he issue at this...

Freedom Coal. of Doctors for Choice v. CDC, No. 23-102, 2024 WL 69084 (N.D. Tex. Jan. 5, 2024) (Kacsmaryk, J.)

Re:  Request for 7.8 million free-text responses to COVID vaccine safety monitoring program “V-safe” collection

Disposition:  Granting plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment; denying defendants’ cross-motion for summary judgment

• Procedural Requirements, Proper FOIA Requests:  The...