Case: Poe v. U.S. Department of Justice

1:26-cv-01552 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: May 6, 2026

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

(This summary is temporary while we research the case.)

 

Summary Authors

Niam Vora (6/10/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73303035/parties/poe-v-us-department-of-justice/


Judge(s)

Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Kraner, Natalie J. (District of Columbia)

Lareau, Alyssa (District of Columbia)

Shalom, Alexander (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:26-cv-01552

Complaint

Poe v. U.S. Department of Justice et al.

May 6, 2026

May 6, 2026

Complaint

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73303035/poe-v-us-department-of-justice/

Last updated June 20, 2026, 3:13 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against TODD BLANCHE, TAMMIE M. GREGG, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12404501) filed by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1 to the Complaint, # 2 Summons to the U.S. Department of Justice, # 3 Summons to Todd Blanche, # 4 Summons to Tammie M. Gregg, # 5 Summons to Jeanine Ferris Pirro, # 6 Civil Cover Sheet)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/06/2026)

1 Exhibit 1 to the Complaint

View on PACER

2 Summons to the U.S. Department of Justice

View on PACER

3 Summons to Todd Blanche

View on PACER

4 Summons to Tammie M. Gregg

View on PACER

5 Summons to Jeanine Ferris Pirro

View on PACER

6 Civil Cover Sheet

View on PACER

May 6, 2026

May 6, 2026

Clearinghouse
2

SEALED MOTION to Proceed Under Pseudonym filed by PAULINA POE (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support of Plaintiff's Motion, # 2 Declaration of Paulina Poe (Redacted), # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/06/2026)

May 6, 2026

May 6, 2026

3

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Amanda K. Cipriano, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12408260. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Amanda K. Cipriano, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/07/2026)

May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026

4

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Amy E. Whelan, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12408297. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Amy E. Whelan, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/07/2026)

May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026

5

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Kegan A. Brown, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12408308. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Kegan A. Brown, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/07/2026)

May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026

6

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Mikayla R. Berliner, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12408331. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Mikayla R. Berliner, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/07/2026)

May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026

7

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Sarah K. Austin, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12408356. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by PAULINA POE. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration of Sarah K. Austin, # 2 Exhibit Certificate of Good Standing, # 3 Text of Proposed Order)(Shalom, Alexander) (Entered: 05/07/2026)

May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026

8

ORDER: The Court ORDERS that: 1) Plaintiff's 2 Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym, Partially Seal Documents, and for a Protective Order is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART, subject to any further consideration by the United States District Judge randomly assigned to this case; 2) No protective order is necessary; 3) All parties shall use the pseudonym listed in the Complaint and redact information that would identify Plaintiff in all documents filed in this action; 4) Defendants shall not disclose Plaintiff's identity to any third party unless such disclosure is necessary to defend against this action; and 5) Within fourteen days of this Order, Plaintiff shall file: a) A pseudonymous and redacted version of her 2 Motion and any attachments as a Notice to the Court on the public docket; and b) A sealed declaration containing her real name and residential address. Signed by Chief Judge James E. Boasberg on May 26, 2026. (lcjeb1) (Main Document 8 replaced on 5/26/2026) (znbn). (Entered: 05/26/2026)

May 26, 2026

May 26, 2026

9

SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 05/27/2026)

May 27, 2026

May 27, 2026

Case Assigned/Reassigned

May 27, 2026

May 27, 2026

Case Assigned to Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. (znmw)

May 27, 2026

May 27, 2026

10

STANDARD ORDER for Civil Cases. See text for details. Signed by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on May 28, 2026. (lcdlf1) (Entered: 05/28/2026)

May 28, 2026

May 28, 2026

11

NOTICE of Appearance by Natalie J. Kraner on behalf of PAULINA POE (Kraner, Natalie) (Entered: 06/01/2026)

June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

MINUTE ORDER granting the plaintiff's 3 5 6 Motions for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice. Counsel should register for e-filing via PACER and file a notice of appearance pursuant to LCvR 83.6(a). Click for instructions. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 2, 2026. (lcdlf1)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

MINUTE ORDER denying the plaintiff's 4 7 Motions for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice. The declarations in support of the motions represent that, in the previous two years, the applicant attorneys have made four or more applications for admission pro hac vice to this Court. Appearance pro hac vice is not a substitute for membership to the Bar of this Court. In light of the frequency with which the applicant attorneys have appeared over the past two years, the motions are DENIED. So Ordered by Judge Dabney L. Friedrich on June 2, 2026. (lcdlf1)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

12

NOTICE of Appearance by Alyssa Lareau on behalf of PAULINA POE (Lareau, Alyssa) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

13

Notice of Appearance

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026

14

Notice of Appearance

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026

15

Notice of Appearance

June 9, 2026

June 9, 2026

16

Sealed Document

June 9, 2026

June 9, 2026

17

Notice of Filing Redacted Document

June 9, 2026

June 9, 2026

Case Details

State / Territory:

District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Jail Conditions

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Key Dates

Filing Date: May 6, 2026

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Incarcerated transgender woman challenging the Department of Justice's suspension of Prison Rape Elimination Act protections applicable to transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming incarcerated people.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders)

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Federal

United States Department of Justice

Defendant Type(s):

Corrections

Jurisdiction-wide

Facility Type(s):

Government-run

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.

Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2201

Other Dockets:

District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-01552

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: None Yet / None

Relief Sought:

Attorneys fees

Declaratory judgment

Injunction

Stay of government action

Relief Granted:

None yet

Source of Relief:

None yet

Issues

General/Misc.:

Classification / placement

Conditions of confinement

Search policies

Discrimination Area:

Disparate Treatment

Discrimination Basis:

Gender identity

Affected Sex/Gender(s):

Intersex

Transgender

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Placement in detention facilities

Prison Rape Elimination Act

Strip search policy (facilities)

LGBTQ+:

LGBTQ+

Transgender: IDs

Recommended Citation