Court Decisions

Re: Motion for fee award for fees incurred in order to retain an expert; original request for records concerning "the solicitation, evaluation, and award of contracts by BOP to provide, maintain, and operate private detention facilities for foreign nationals serving criminal sentences imposed by the federal courts" Disposition: Granting plaintiff's motion for interim fee award

• Attorney Fees:...

Re: Request for all medical records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) pertaining to plaintiff's decedent Disposition: Adopting Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation to grant BOP's motion to dismiss plaintiff's FOIA claim as moot

• Mootness: The court explains that the "magistrate judge found that…the United States provided evidence that the BOP has fully responded to the...

Re: Request for records referring to pending litigation filed by Clark Reality Capital, LLC [hereinafter Company A] and records submitted to the Department of the Army (Army) by Company A Disposition: Affirming district court's grant of summary judgment for Army

• Exemption 4: The Fourth Circuit finds that "public disclosure of [certain] documents would impair the government's ability to...

Re: Appellant's request to proceed in forma pauperis in his appeal of the district court's dismissal of his FOIA complaint Disposition: The Fifth Circuit dismisses plaintiff's appeal as frivolous

• In Pauperis Status: The Fifth Circuit holds that "28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) required [appellant], as the prisoner seeking to bring a civil action without prepaying the fees, to file a copy of the [inmate...

Re: Request for records related to the FBI's use of ethnic and racial data Disposition: Affirming the district court's grant of summary judgment to defendant

• Exemption 7(A):  The Third Circuit concludes that, "ample evidence supported the District Court's conclusion that [defendant] satisfied its burden under Exemption 7A," and, "[a]ccordingly, [the court] need not decide whether [defendant's]...

Re: Request for records concerning "the use of unmanned aerial vehicles ("drones") to carry out targeted killings Disposition: Reversing district court determination that CIA properly asserted a Glomar response and remanding for "filing of a Vaughn index or other description of the kinds of documents the Agency possesses"

• Glomar/Exemptions 1 and 3: The D.C. Circuit reverses the district court...

Re: Plaintiff's attempt to bring various claims related to denial of benefits related to her deceased husband's military service Disposition: Dismissing plaintiff's records-related allegations for failure to state a claim

• Proper Party Defendant: The court dismisses plaintiff's general allegations regarding "Open Public Records Act Law." The court construes this allegation as an allegation that...

Re: Request for record concerning boating accident Disposition: Affirming district court's grant of summary judgment to defendant

• Litigation Considerations, Adequacy of Search:  The court finds that "[t]he district court appropriately granted summary judgment to [defendant] on this claim."  The court rejects plaintiff's argument that "[defendant's] failure to retain voice tapes and emails...