Court Decisions

Bal v. U.S. Dep’t of the Treasury, No. 21-4702, 2024 WL 5056346 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 9, 2024) (Wang, Mag. J.)

Re: Request for records concerning blocking of plaintiff’s payment by PayPal

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

• Litigation Considerations, Evidentiary Showing, Adequacy of Search:  The court relates that “[defendant]...

The Found. for Gov’t Accountability v. DOJ, No. 22-00252, 2024 WL 5111659 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 13, 2024) (Badalamenti, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning Executive Order 14019, which directed head of each executive agency, including DOJ, to submit to White House a Strategic Plan outlining ways the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s...

Pickering v. DOJ, No. 19-417, 2024 WL 5090820 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 12, 2024) (Arcara, J.)

Re: Requests for records concerning third party

Disposition:  Adopting magistrate judge’s report and recommendation; awarding plaintiff $1,666.67 in attorney fees

• Attorney Fees:  “The Court finds no error with respect to [the magistrate judge’s] recommendation, and hereby adopts the R&R in its entirety.” The court...

Jankowski v. U.S. Army, No. 23-3112, 2024 WL 5077739 (D. Neb. Dec. 11, 2024) (Bataillon, S.J.)

Re: Request for plaintiff’s application record and enlistment files from 2021 to 2022

Disposition:  Allowing plaintiff until January 10, 2025 to file amended complaint

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court finds that, “[h]ere, Plaintiff alleges no facts suggesting that she has submitted a proper...

Jankowski v. CIA, No. 23-3113, 2024 WL 5077740 (D. Neb. Dec. 11, 2024) (Bataillon, S.J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning plaintiff and plaintiff’s family

Disposition:  Dismissing plaintiff’s complaint

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court finds that, “[h]ere, though Plaintiff alleges she has submitted repeated requests to the CIA to declassify and release any information retained by...

Jankowski v. FBI, No. 23-3104, 2024 WL 5058585 (D. Neb. Dec. 10, 2024) (Bataillon, S.J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning plaintiff and plaintiff’s family

Disposition:  Dismissing plaintiff’s complaint

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court finds that, “[h]ere, though Plaintiff alleges she has submitted repeated requests to the FBI ‘to declassify’ any information retained by the FBI on...

The Intercept Media Inc. v. Nat’l Park Serv., No. 23-10922, 2024 WL 5009310 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 6, 2024) (Engelmayer, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning investigation of January 2022 killing of gray wolf near northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park

Disposition:  Granting in party and denying in party defendant’s motion for summary judgment; granting in part and denying in part plaintiff’s...

Berlant v. U.S. Election Assistance Comm’n, No. 23-00257, 2024 WL 4950274 (D. Or. Dec. 2, 2024) (Nelson, J.)

Re: Requests for records concerning accreditation of voting system test laboratories (“VSTLs”)

Disposition:  Granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment; denying plaintiff’s motion to compel

• Litigation Considerations, Adequacy of Search:  The court holds that “defendant shows beyond...

Am. First Legal Found. v. DHS, No. 21-2168, 2024 WL 4932041 (D.D.C. Dec. 2, 2024) (Moss, J.)

Re:  Request for all weekly “‘written reports’” referenced in 2021 Interim Guidance

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in part defendant’s motion for summary judgment; granting in part and denying in part plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 6; Exemption 7, Threshold; Exemption 7(C):  The...

Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Rsch. v. NIH, No. 23-1141, 2024 WL 4886478 (4th Cir. Nov. 27, 2024) (Thacker, J.)

Re:  Request for records concerning submission and subsequent removal of certain COVID-19 sequences from NIH’s Sequence Read Archive (“SRA”)

Disposition:  Affirming district court’s grant of government’s motion for summary judgment

• Litigation Considerations, Relief, Exhaustion of...