ASAP National Training Conference Overview of FOIA Litigation ASAP National Training Conference Presented by Brent Evitt Slides courtesy of Anne Weismann and Joel D. Miller Jurisdiction FOIA cases only brought in U.S. District Courts Plaintiff must allege that an agency improperly withheld agency records Court has power to enjoin withholding of improperly withheld agency records and to enforce other provisions of act Statute of limitations = six years 1
Venue Federal judicial district where plaintiff resides or has principal place of business District where records are located District of Columbia Pleadings Complaint Service of process Proper party defendants Proper party plaintiffs Amending the complaint Answer Pleadings (con t) FOIA cases 30 days to respond Set forth all affirmative defenses Standard of Review De novo National Security cases Fee waiver issues Expedited processing issues Reverse FOIA lawsuits 2
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies Following denial of administrative appeal of agency s decision Constructive exhaustion Failure to exhaust Mootness & Other Grounds for Dismissal Mootness All records have been provided to requester Fees have been waived Agency delay alone not sufficient to sustain a FOIA case Failure to prosecute Res judicata Collateral estoppel Discovery Discovery is not the norm in FOIA cases When granted, discovery is extremely limited in scope Normally not appropriate until after agency has filed declaration or Vaughn Index 3
Summary Judgment Vehicle for resolving most FOIA cases No disputed facts, only question of how the law applies to the facts Agency has burden to show no records are improperly withheld Use of declarations and Vaughn Index Contents of Vaughn Declaration Identify declarant Provide information about the records responsive to request Discuss procedural history of request and attach administrative correspondence Detail agency s search Provide Vaughn Index Vaughn Declarations The Vaughn Index Describe records or portion of records withheld Identify the exemptions claimed Connect each exemption claimed with the exemption asserted Demonstrate that all required elements of each exemption are satisfied 4
Types of Vaughn Declarations Traditional Vaughn declaration Narrative declaration Coded declaration Categorical or generic declaration Glomar denial declaration Declaration containing only sample of withheld records In camera, ex parte declaration In camera inspection as an alternative or supplement to declaration Explaining Certain Exemptions in the Vaughn Declaration Exemption 2 Internality requirement Using high or low aspect of exemption Exemption 5 Inter- or intra- agency communication Deliberative process privilege Requires explanation of decision making process Attorney work-product privilege Prepared in anticipation of litigation Exemption 7 Compiled for law enforcement purpose Exemption 7(A) Functional categories Exemption 7(D) Express/implied promise of confidentiality Reasonably Segregable Requirement Address segregability in declaration Provide examples of agency s efforts to disclose segregable nonexempt information No public interest Inextricably intertwined with exempt information 5
Waiver of Exemptions in Litigation Agency can assert exemptions in litigation that were not invoked at administrative stage All exemptions relied upon must be asserted in agency s Vaughn declaration Maydak case Exemption 7(A) issues Assert in conjunction with other applicable exemptions Eligibility Attorney Fees Requester must be represented by attorney Requester must have substantially prevailed Entitlement Court will consider Public benefit Commercial benefit to requester Nature of requester s interests in records sought Agency s withholding has basis in law 6