Opinion ID: 774052
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Applicable Provisions of the FOIA

Text: 10 The FOIA generally provides that every federal agency shall promptly make available upon request records reasonably described. 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(A). Under the Act, an agency may not withhold or limit the availability of any record, unless one of the FOIA's specific exceptions applies. Id. § 522(d). These exceptions are to be narrowly construed,Department of the Interior v. Klamath Water Users Protective Ass'n, 121 S. Ct. 1060, 1065 (2001) (quoting United States Dep't of Justice v. Tax Analysts, 492 U.S. 136, 151 (1989)), and the burden is on the agency to justify its action. 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(B). Therefore, the structure of the Act reflects a general philosophy of full agency disclosure unless information is exempted under clearly delineated statutory language. Department of the Air Force v. Rose, 425 U.S. 352, 360-61 (1976) (quotation omitted). 11 To ensure the breadth of disclosure, the Act authorizes courts to examine documents in camera when reviewing the propriety of an agency's withholdings. 5 U.S.C. §552(a)(4)(B). In camera review is a discretionary measure taken after consideration of: (1) judicial economy; (2) actual agency bad faith, either in the FOIA action or in the underlying activities that generated the records requested; (3)strong public interest; and (4) whether the parties request in camera review. Ingle v. Department of Justice, 698 F.2d 259, 267 (6th Cir. 1983), overruled on other grounds by United States Dep't of Justice v. Landano, 508 U.S. 165, 113 S. Ct. 2014,124 L.Ed.2d 84 (1993). This circuit, however, encourages use of in camera review sparingly, when no other procedure allows review of the agency's response to a FOIA request. Id. 12 Procedurally, district courts typically dispose of FOIA cases on summary judgment before a plaintiff can conduct discovery. Jones v. FBI, 41 F.3d 238, 242 (6th Cir. 1994). This posture creates a situation in which a plaintiff must argue that the agency's withholdings exceed the scope of the statute, although only the agency is in a position to know whether it has complied with the FOIA unless the court reviews a potentially massive number of documents in camera. Id. One means developed to address this situation is the use of a Vaughn index, a routine device through which the agency describes the documents responsive to a FOIA request and indicates the reasons for redactions or withholdings in sufficient detail to allow a court to make an independent assessment of the claims for exemptions from disclosure under the Act. Id.at 241-42; Vaughn v. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C. Cir. 1973). Ordinarily, the agency may justify its claims of exemption through detailed affidavits, which are entitled to a presumption of good faith. Jones, 41 F.3d at 242 (citing United States Dep't of State v. Ray, 502 U.S. 164, 179 (1991)). Evidence of bad faith on the part of the agency can overcome this presumption, even when the bad faith concerns the underlying activities that generated the FOIA request rather than the agency's conduct in the FOIA action itself. Id. at 242-43. Unless evidence contradicts the government's affidavits or establishes bad faith, the court's primary role is to review the adequacy of the affidavits and other evidence. Ingle, 698 F.2d at 265 (quoting Cox v. United States Dep't of Justice, 576 F.2d 1302, 1312 (8th Cir. 1978)); Silets v. United States Dep't of Justice, 945 F.2d 227, 231 (7th Cir. 1991) (citing Kimberlin v. Department of Treasury, 774 F.2d 204 (7th Cir. 1985)). If the Government fairly describes the content of the material withheld and adequately states its grounds for nondisclosure, and if those grounds are reasonable and consistent with the applicable law, the district court should uphold the government's position. Ingle, 698 F.2d at 265 (quoting Cox, 576 F.2d at 1312).