2005 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 7-13-2005 

# F a bi ano v . M cIntyre P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 04-2734

F o l low thi s a nd a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2005 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a nova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " F a b i a no v . M cIntyr e " (2005). 2005 D e cisio n s . P ape r 857. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi l l a nova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2005/857NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N O . 04- 2734

________________ 

### EL EANO R R . FA BI AN O, Appe l l ant v. THOMAS J . MCINTYRE, Chi e f of Fr e e dom of I nform at i on and Pri va c y Ac t Uni t ; RI CHARD L. HUFF, Co Di r e c t or of Offi c e of I nf or m at i onandPri va c y ; FE DE RA L B UREAU O F INV ES TI GA TI ON ; *UNI TED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTI CE *As Am e nde d by

Cl e rk' s Or de r

dat e d 7/ 16/ 04

_______________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

Fort he D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i v. N o. 03- cv- 00420) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e J os eph H . R odr i guez

_______________________________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J ul y1, 2005 B efore: S L O V ITE R , B A R R Y and F ISH E R , C i rcui tJudg es.

( Fi l ed: J ul y13, 2005)

_______________________

OP I NI ON

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P E R C UR I AM E l eanorR . Fabi ano appe al s fr om t he or derof the U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfor t he D i s t r i ctof N ew J er s eygr ant i ng s um m aryj udgm enti n favorof the U ni t ed St at es D epart m entof J us t i ce a nd t he Feder al B ur eau of I nves t i gat i on ( FB I ) i n t hi s Fr eedom of I n f o r ma t i o n Ac t( F OI A) a c t i o n . W e wi l l a f f i r m. Fabi ano, r el y i ng on t he FO I A , s oughti nfor m at i on r el at i ng t o t he pr os ecut i on and convi ct i on of hers on, J ohn Fabi ano, forchi l d por nogr aphy . Speci fi cal l y , s he r eques t ed t he comput ercode na m es us ed i n t he FB I ’ s “I nnocentI m ages ” i nves t i gat i on, t he r eal names of the tw o i ndi vi dual s us i ng t he code names “ B ear api nSt ” and “ H erm an4321, ” and t he i dent i t yof a pe r s on us i ng t he code name “M endy 13, ” “M i ndy 13, ” or“M andy 13. ” A l t hough t he def

endant s r el eas ed s ever al document s , t heyas s er t ed thats om e mat er i al w as exemptfr om di s cl os ur e underE xempt i on ( b) ( 7) ( C ) , 5 U . S. C . § 552( b) ( 7) ( C ) . T he D istric t C o u rt a g re e d a n d g ra n ted th e d e f e n d a n ts’ m o tio n f

o r su m m a ryju d g m e n t. W e a g re e w ith th e D istric t C o u rt th a t th e d e f e n d a n ts a re p e rm itt e d to w ith h o ld i nfor m at i on r el at i ng t o t he names of ce r t ai n i ndi vi dual s . A s expl ai ned byt he D i s t r i ct C our t , t he r el eas e of s uch i nfor m at i on coul d r eas onabl ybe expe ct ed t o cons t i tut e an u n re a so n a b le in v a sio n o f p riv a c yth a t is n o t o u tw e ig h e d b yth e p u b lic in ter e st in d i s c l o s u r e . S e e M a n n a v . U. S . De p t . o f J u s t i c e , 5 1 F . 3 d 1 1 5 8 , 1 1 6 6 ( 3 d Ci r . 1 9 9 5 ) . On a p p e a l, F a b ian o c h a llen g e s th e f a ilu re to re lea se th e c o d e n a m e s u se d b yth e F B I in its i nves t i gat i on of hers on. H ow ever , t he FB I i nfor m ed Fabi ano thati tcoul d notl ocat e a

### 3

l i s tof code names i n i t s “I nnocentI m ages ” fi l es . T he FB I cannotr el eas e i nfor m at i on t hat it d o e s n o t h a v e . M o re o v e r, ev e n if th e d e f e n d a n ts c o u ld id e n tifyth e in d iv id u a ls as s oci at ed w i t h t he code names, t hei ri dent i t i es coul d l egi t i m at el ybe w i t hhel d under E x em p ti o n (b)(7 )(C ). F o r t h e f o re g o in g re a s o n s , w e w ill a f f ir m th e ju d g m e n t o f

th e D is tr ic t C o u rt . A p p e llee s’ m o tio n f

o r su m m a rya f

f irm a n c e is d e n ied a s m o o t.