Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_90-cv-03576/USCOURTS-cand-3_90-cv-03576-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 895
Nature of Suit: Freedom of Information Act of 1974
Cause of Action: 05:552 Freedom of Information Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SETH ROSENFELD, ) Case No. 90-3576 MHP 

) Case No. 85-1709 MHP

Plaintiff, ) Case No. 85-2247 MHP

)

v. )

) [PROPOSED] ORDER ON

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ) PLAINTIFF’S RENEWED

JUSTICE and FEDERAL BUREAU ) CHALLENGE REGARDING

OF INVESTIGATION, ) ABSTRACT CARDS

)

Defendants. )

On December 5, 2006, the Court denied without prejudice plaintiff’s request for an order

requiring the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to search for and release abstract cards for

each subject of plaintiff’s FOIA requests. Plaintiff repeated this request for abstract cards in

“Plaintiff’s Renewed Challenge Regarding Compliance with Settlement Agreement With Regard

to Abstracts,” which was filed on August 7, 2007. In their Response, defendants opposed the

Renewed Challenge on various grounds, including the burdensome nature of the request, noting

that abstract cards were generated prior to the FBI’s use of automation equipment, cannot be

searched electronically, and would need to be hand-searched.

At the hearing on September 11, 2007, after conferring, the Parties recited an agreement to

resolve this dispute, subject to the entry of a court order setting forth the agreement. 

The Court, having reviewed the Parties’ competing drafts of a proposed order, hereby

ORDERS as follows: 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Plaintiff will submit a list of FBI file numbers (List) for a total of thirty files kept at

FBI headquarters (Main Files) regarding any of the ten subjects that are set forth in the document

attached hereto as Exhibit 1.

AS MODIFIED

Case 3:90-cv-03576-EMC Document 126 Filed 10/23/07 Page 1 of 2
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2. Commencing with the first Main File number on the List, the FBI will conduct a search

of the boxes of abstract cards that are stored at the Federal Records Center located in Suitland,

Maryland (Center), for abstract cards that are filed under that file number. 

3. If the FBI is able to locate abstract cards for that Main File, the FBI will process and

release non-exempt portions of such abstract cards. If the FBI is not able to locate abstract cards

for that Main File, the FBI will search for abstract cards for the next Main File on the List, until

the FBI either locates abstract cards for twenty Main Files or searches for abstract cards for all

thirty Main Files on the List, whichever occurs first. 

4. The FBI will process and release the non-exempt portions of all abstract cards that it

has located for up to twenty Main Files on the List, within six months of the date on which the

FBI receives the List from plaintiff (Date of Receipt). If the FBI locates and processes abstract

cards for one or more of the Main Files on the List within three months of the Date of Receipt, the

FBI will make an interim release of such abstract cards three months after the Date of Receipt. 

5. The FBI provides no assurance that abstract cards for any specific Main File exist, or

that the FBI will be able to locate such abstract cards.

6. The Parties agree that the FBI shall not be required to search for or release any other

abstract cards regarding any subjects of plaintiff’s FOIA requests. Neither plaintiff nor his

attorneys will submit any FOIA request seeking such abstract cards, or file any other pleading or

motion seeking such abstract cards in any administrative or judicial proceeding.

7. Neither the Parties’ agreement nor this Order shall constitute precedent for the FBI’s

processing of any other request.

SO ORDERED.

Dated this __ day of ______. _______________________________________

United States Magistrate Judge 

^

on his behalf

^

regarding any of Plaintiff's FOIA requests at issue in this case

23 October 2007

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte

Case 3:90-cv-03576-EMC Document 126 Filed 10/23/07 Page 2 of 2