FOIA Advisor

Court opinions issued Mar. 22, 2018

Court Opinions (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

Am. Civil Liberties Union of Ariz. v.  DHS (D. Ariz.) -- on motion for reconsideration, finding that: (1) public interest in disclosing names of DHS employees accused of mistreating unaccompanied children outweighed privacy interests; (2) court "clearly erred" by previously suggesting that DHS names could be disclosed under protective order.

Fabricant v. DOJ (9th Cir.) (unpublished) -- affirming district court's decision that Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives performed reasonable search and properly withheld certain records; further finding that district court did not abuse discretion in denying plaintiff's motions for in camera review, discovery, striking agency's declaration, and litigation costs.   

E.G. v. Dep't of the Air Force (D.D.C.) -- ruling that Air Force properly relied on Exemption 6 to withhold certain records from administrative proceeding concerning plaintiff's allegations of sexual assault against staff seargent.

Reep v. U.S. Dep't of Justice (D.D.C.) -- concluding that: (1) plaintiff's claims against Executive Office for United States Attorneys, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Agency were filed too late -- that is, six years after his right to file first accrued; and (2) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives performed reasonable search for records concerning plaintiff and properly withelld records pursuant to Exemption 3, 5, 6, 7(C), and 7(E).

Summaries of all opinions issued since April 2015 available here