Kinney v. CIA, No. 16-5777, 2017 WL 698795 (W.D. Wash. Feb. 22, 2017) (Settle, J.)

Kinney v. CIA, No. 16-5777, 2017 WL 698795 (W.D. Wash. Feb. 22, 2017) (Settle, J.)

Re: Request for records concerning specified individual as an intelligence source

Disposition: Granting in part and denying in part defendant's motion for relief from providing initial disclosures, conducting discovery conference, and filing joint status report

• Litigation Considerations, Discovery: "[T]he Court denies Defendant's request for relief from conducting a Rule 26(f) discovery conference and filing a joint status report, as required by the Court's previous order." The court finds that "[a]lthough Defendant requests that it be relieved of conducting a discovery conference or filing a joint status report, it fails to provide any basis upon which such relief should be granted." However, "having reviewed the parties' briefs, the Court grants Defendant's motion for relief from the Rule 26(1)(a) initial disclosure requirement." The court explains that "because this case potentially implicates highly sensitive information, and because it is likely to be resolved on summary judgment, the Court finds it prudent to relieve Defendant of its initial disclosure obligations under Rule 26(a)."