Filed Date: July 30, 2015
Closed Date: March 13, 2017
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 30, 2015, the Freedom of the Press Foundation (a non-profit organization focusing on First Amendment press rights) sued the U.S. Department of Justice in the Northern District of California seeking injunctive relief under the Freedom of Information Act. Plaintiff sought the expedited processing and release of records from the FBI concerning the procedures by which the Bureau issues National Security Letters ("NSLs") and exigent letters to investigate members of the press. Plaintiff believes that the records met FOIA’s requirements for expedited processing as they are “of widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exist possible questions about the government’s integrity which affect public confidence.” 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(E)(v)(II).
18 U.S.C. § 2709 authorizes the FBI to NSLs to obtain subscriber information, toll billing records, and transactional records from wire or electronic communications service providers in national security investigations. The FBI issues these NSLs without any prior judicial review, and Section 2709(c) allows the FBI to impose an indefinite nondisclosure order on an NSL recipient. Similarly, exigent letters allow the FBI to obtain phone records in emergency situations without serving prior legal processes.
In three cases simultaneously before the Ninth Circuit, the constitutionality of the NSL framework was being challenged, though the practice of issuing NSLs continues. See Under Seal v. Lynch, Nos. 13-15957, 13-16731, 13-16732 (9th Cir. argued Oct. 8, 2014).
FBI procedures for interacting with the media are contained in a publicly available document called “Media Guidelines.” The latest update to the Guidelines in January 2015 contains no procedures for issuing NSLs or exigent letters, so Plaintiff requested this information in a FOIA request dated March 10, 2015. While the FBI granted the request for expedited processing only ten days later, the agency has yet to make a final determination to release the records. Plaintiff appealed the constructive denial in May 2015, and received a letter in July indicating that the request would take a further seven months to be decided upon. This is far beyond the generally applicable twenty-day deadline for processing any FOIA request.
A hearing schedule was set on January 21, 2016, and the hearing occurred on August 18, 2016.
On March 13, 2017, the Court (Judge Haywood S. Gilliam) granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant. The Court found that the defendant conducted an adequate search in response to the request, and properly invoked exemption 1 (authorized to be kept secret in the interest of national defense by Executive Order), exemption 3 (exempted from disclosure by statute), exemption 5 (exempted from disclosure because the document is an interagency or intra-agency memorandum which should not be available by law to a party other than an agency unless in litigation with the agency), exemption 7(E) (exempted from disclosure as it is a law enforcement record that would reveal techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations, prosecutions, or guidelines for investigations or prosecutions). The Court also found the plaintiff did not sufficiently specify how the withheld material matched previously disclosed material and thus could not raise Official Acknowledgment over the FOIA exemptions. Next, the Court found the defendant appropriated segregated and disclosed the portions of documents that were not exempted. Finally, the Court denied a request of in camera review, finding the defendant sufficiently supported its exemptions. 241 F. Supp. 3d 986.
The case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Dan Hofman (3/9/2016)
Cade Boland (3/23/2018)
Calvin Kim (9/14/2022)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4182065/parties/freedom-of-the-press-foundation-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
Adelstein, Jay David (California)
Amdur, Spencer E. (California)
Anderson, Linda (California)
Aronoff, Peter Max (California)
Attorney, Noticing INS (California)
Adelstein, Jay David (California)
Amdur, Spencer E. (California)
Aronoff, Peter Max (California)
Attorney, Noticing INS (California)
AUSA, Christopher D (California)
Bergman, Jacob Max (California)
Bernie, Andrew Marshall (District of Columbia)
Berwick, Benjamin (California)
Bickford, James O. (California)
Brown, Jane Pansing (California)
Burdette, Cathy Jo (California)
Byars, Michael James (California)
Cargo, Shane Patrick (California)
Cha-Kim, Stephen Seungkun (California)
Chang, William S.W. (California)
Chaudhury, Arastu Kabeer (California)
Chilakamarri, Varu (California)
Clopper, John Dalton (California)
Crowley, Megan Anne (California)
D'Alessandro, Mark Thomas (California)
Daughtry, Emily Ewell (California)
DeVito, David Michael (California)
Dolinger, Samuel Hilliard (California)
Dominguez, Silvia (California)
Donohue, Brian G. (California)
Durkin, Timothy Michael (California)
Dyck, Henry Parker (California)
Ennis, Christine Wild (California)
Erickson-Pogorzelski, Anthony (California)
Falk, Rebecca Ann (California)
FitzGerald, Ellen (California)
Francis, Victoria L. (California)
Garrett, Jenigh J. (California)
Gianola, John Fulton (California)
Gonzalez, Gregory (California)
Griffiths, John Richard (California)
Guzman, Gladys M. (California)
Haas, Alexander Kenneth (California)
Haroldson, Thomas E (California)
Harvey, Judith B. (California)
Heiman, Julia Alexandra (California)
Herb, Kimberly Lynn (California)
Hernandez, J Cole (California)
Howard, Roscoe Howard (California)
Ikari, Carolyn Aiko (California)
Inactive, Cynthia M (California)
Inactive, Michael A (California)
Jude, Jennifer Ann (California)
Kabrawala, Ameet B. (California)
Kahrs, Laurie Kathleen (California)
Keefe, Kerry Jane (California)
Kirschner, Adam D. (California)
Kneedler, Jennie L. (California)
Lantka, Peter Michael (California)
Larsen, Christian R (California)
Leary, Peter Decklin (California)
Lee, Jonathan Unruh (California)
Lesperance, Karen Folster (California)
Lieber, Sheila M. (California)
Lievense, Andrew J. (California)
Maisels, Amanda L. (California)
Marentette, Pamela (California)
Martikan, Owen Peter (California)
McArdle, Kevin William (California)
Mercado-Santana, Victor M. (California)
Metzger, Emily B. (California)
Morrison, Ross Eric (California)
Morte, Tara Marie (California)
Pelletier, Paul E (California)
Perez-Daple, Brian (California)
Phillips, Frederick S. (California)
Porsia, Sara Christi (California)
Powell, Amy Elizabeth (California)
Prillaman, Debra Jean (California)
Prose, Susan Begesse (California)
Rachal, Doreen M. (California)
Robinson, Kimberly Anne (California)
Rosenberg, Brad Prescott (California)
Sandberg, Justin M. (California)
Shapiro, Elizabeth (California)
Sheffield, Carlton Frederick (California)
Shockey, Charles Ray (California)
Singer, Benjamin D. (California)
Singer, Samuel M. (California)
Smith, Alexandra F. (California)
Smith, Jeffrey Michael (California)
Snead, Jacqueline E. (California)
Sneed, Sekret Tamara (California)
Soskin, Eric Joseph (California)
Spooner, Sandra P (California)
Stegeby, Erik Kenneth (California)
Stellmach, William (California)
Tayloe, Benjamin O (California)
Tinio, Rebecca Sol (California)
Torrance, Benjamin Henry (California)
Wall, Robin Michael (California)
Waterman, Brandon Matthew (California)
Weiss, Daniel Herman (California)
Westwater, Gisela A (California)
Chemerinsky, Erwin (California)
Handmand, Laura Rose (California)
Matthews, Sarah S (California)
McNamara, Elizabeth A. (California)
Pennington, Shane A (California)
Phillips, Celeste (California)
Siegel, Nathan E. (California)
Smallman, David Brian (California)
Staudenmaier, Craig J. (California)
Steger, Michael Douglas (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4182065/freedom-of-the-press-foundation-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
Last updated March 21, 2025, 10:36 a.m.
State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 30, 2015
Closing Date: March 13, 2017
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Non-profit organization focused on First Amendment press protection.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Non-profit NON-religious organization
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Federal
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. § 552
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.: