Singh v. USPS, No. 17-0233, 2017 WL 2930590 (W.D. Wash. July 10, 2017) (Coughenour, J.)

Singh v. USPS, No. 17-0233, 2017 WL 2930590 (W.D. Wash. July 10, 2017) (Coughenour, J.)

Re:  Request for plaintiff's background investigation and personnel file

Disposition:  Granting defendant's motion for summary judgment

• Litigation Considerations, Adequacy of Search:  "Based on the evidence produced, the Court concludes that the USPS conducted a search 'reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents.'"  The court relates that "USPS's declarations detail a thorough and reasonable effort by each of its branches to search databases that were likely to produce the requested records, plus a much more in-depth general search[.]"  Responding to plaintiff's argument, the court finds that "the question before the Court is 'not whether any further documents might conceivably exist, but rather whether the government's search for responsive documents was adequate.'"
   
• Litigation Considerations, Vaughn Index/Declaration:  The court relates that "[defendant's declarant] is 'familiar with the [Postal Inspection Service]'s policies, practices, and procedures regarding the administration processing, and release of information requested under [FOIA and the Privacy Act], and the records and record systems employed by [the Postal Inspection Service] in which the information is maintained.'"  The court finds that "[t]his is sufficient to qualify her as a declarant for purposes of summary judgment."