Court Decisions

Am. Transparency v. HHS, No. 21-02821, 2026 WL 2620874 (D.D.C. Sept. 4, 2026) (Mehta, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning royalties that NIH paid to its employees

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

• Exemption 4; Litigation Considerations, Evidentiary Showing, “Reasonably Segregable” Showing:  The court relates that “...

Martinez v. Collins, No. 26-7248, 2026 WL 2606926 (Vet. App. Sept. 3, 2026) (Meredith, J.)

Re: Request for requester’s VA claims file

Disposition:  Dismissing requester’s petition

• Litigation Considerations, Jurisdiction:  The Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims finds that “although [the requester] seeks an order compelling VA to provide a copy of his C-file and medical records pursuant to his...

LegalForce RAPC Worldwide P.C. v. USPTO, No. 25-09010, 2026 WL 2606993 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 2, 2026) (Pitts, J.)

Re: Request for eight types of records regarding relationship between PTO’s Office of Enrollment and Discipline and HUD

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

• Attorney Fees, Eligibility:  The court finds that “[p]laintiffs have not established their eligibility...

Bennett v. Atascadero State Hosp., No. 25-03738, 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 196410 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 31, 2026) (Drozd, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff

Disposition:  Adopting magistrate judge’s report and recommendations; dismissing action with prejudice

• Procedural Requirements, Entities Subject to the FOIA:  The court agrees with the magistrate judge who “concluded that Atascadero State...

Bennett v. Atascadero State Hosp., No. 25-03738, 2026 WL 2569450 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 31, 2026) (Drozd, J.)

Re: Request for certain declaratory relief based on FOIA

Disposition:  Adopting magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations; dismissing plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice

• Procedural Requirements, Entities Subject to the FOIA; Litigation Considerations, Pleadings: “[T]he court concludes that...

Vega v. Gatta, No. 26-1299, 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 196832 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 31, 2026) (Dudek, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning 

Disposition:  Dismissing plaintiff’s amended complaint

• Procedural Requirements, Entities Subject to the FOIA; Litigation Considerations, Pleadings: The court finds that “[plaintiff] . . . does not assert he made [a FOIA] request of any federal agency.”  “Further, FOIA...

Tyson-Phipps v. Rubio, No. 23-2316, 2026 WL 2564210 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 31, 2026) (Gorenstein, Mag. J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff

Disposition:  Denying plaintiff’s motion for leave to amend FOIA claim following court’s dismissal of FOIA claim

• Litigation Considerations, Pleadings:  The court relates that “[d]efendant argues that Count IX, the FOIA claim . . . , is futile because it is...

Lett v. DOJ, No. 23-3942, 2026 WL 2546295 (D.D.C. Aug. 28, 2026) (Sooknanan, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning state and federal criminal prosecutions against plaintiff

Disposition:  Granting in part and denying in part defendants’ motion for summary judgment

• Exemption 3: “[T]he Court concludes that the Defendants correctly withheld that document pursuant to FOIA Exemption 3 and/or the Tiahrt...

Wolberg v. FBI, No. 26-01359, 2026 WL 2546845 (D. Or. Aug. 28, 2026) (McShane, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning plaintiff 

Disposition:  Dismissing complaint with prejudice

• Exemption 6; Exemption 7(C):  The court relates that “[p]laintiff asserts she seeks disclosure of information pertaining to herself, but also that ‘the records being withheld are protecting a network of corruption and child...

Ctr. for Immigr. Stud. v. USCIS, No. 26-5037, 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 26071 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 26, 2026) (per curiam)

Re: Request for records concerning demographic information of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applicants, including their current non-immigration status

Disposition:  Affirming district court’s denial of plaintiff’s motion for attorney fees

• Attorney Fees, Eligibility:  The Court of...