Opinion ID: 8704092
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The FBI’s Search for Responsive Records

Text: “The adequacy of an agency’s search is measured by a standard of reasonableness and is dependent upon the circumstances of the case.” Weisberg v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 705 F.2d 1344, 1351 (D.C.Cir.1983) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). An agency must “demonstrate beyond material doubt that its search was ‘reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents.’ ” Valencia-Lucena v. U.S. Coast Guard, 180 F.3d 321, 325 (D.C.Cir.1999) (quoting Truitt v. Dep’t of State, 897 F.2d 540, 542 (D.C.Cir. 1990)). The agency may submit affidavits or declarations that explain in reasonable detail the scope and method of the agency’s search. Perry v. Block, 684 F.2d 121, 126 (D.C.Cir.1982). “[T]he issue to be resolved is not whether there might' exist any other documents possibly responsive to the request, but rather whether the search for those documents was adequate.” Weisberg, 705 F.2d at 1351 (citing Perry, 684 F.2d at 128). The FBI’s Central Records System (“CRS”) maintains “administrative, applicant, criminal, personnel, and other files compiled for law enforcement purposes.” Hardy Decl. ¶ 16. Its “numerical sequence of files [is] broken down according to subject matter,” and the subject matter “may relate to an individual, organization, company, publication, activity, or foreign intelligence matter (or program).” Id. “Access to the CRS is obtained through the General Indices, which are arranged in alphabetical order.” Id. ¶ 17. “The General Indices consist of index cards on various subject matters that are searched either manually or through the automatic indices.” Id. Entries in the General Indices are either “main” or “reference” entries. Id. A “ ‘main’ entry ... carries the name corresponding [to] a subject of a file contained in the CRS,” id. ¶ 17(a), and a reference entry (or cross-reference) “is generally only a mere mention ... of an individual, organization, or other subject matter, contained in a document located in another ‘main’ file on a different subject matter,” id. ¶ 17(b). In order to search the CRS, one uses the Automated Case Support System (“ACS”), implemented in 1995 to “facilitate! ] more ... expeditious access to records maintained in the CRS.” Id. ¶ 19. There are “three integrated, yet separately functional, automatic applications” within the ACS: Investigative Case Management (ICM), Electronic Case File (ECF), and Universal Index (UNI). Id. ¶ 20. ICM allows for the opening, assignment, and closing of investigative cases, and for setting, assigning, and tracking leads. Id. ¶ 20(a). Each new case is assigned a Universal Case File Number which includes a three-digit number representing the type of investigation, a two-letter code representing the office of origin, and a five-digit number for the particular investigation. Id. ECF is “the central electronic repository for the FBI’s official text-based documents.” Id. ¶ 20(b). UNI “provides] a complete subject/case index to all investigative and administrative cases.” Id. ¶ 20(c). “Names of individuals or organizations are recorded with identifying ... information such as date or place of birth, race, sex, locality, Social Security number, address, and/or date of event” also recorded. Id. Generally, the Special Agent to whom an investigation is assigned decides whether to index an individual’s name; only “information considered to be pertinent, relevant, or essential for future retrieval” is indexed. Id. ¶ 21. Without an index, “information essential to ongoing investigations could not be readily retrieved,” and, therefore, “the General Indices to the CRS files are the means by which the FBI ... determine^] what retrievable information, if any, [it has] in its CRS files on a particular subject matter or individual, ie. Peter N. Georgacarakos.” Id. “The FBI conducted a search of the CRS for records responsive to plaintiffs request by running searches using ACS.” Id. ¶ 22. Using variations of plaintiffs name as search terms, the search yielded “one responsive main file, 90A-PH-80620, which pertains to the investigation of the Anderson murder.” Id. Because plaintiff “sought access to ‘all 302s’ relating to the murder investigation,” FBI staff “identified and processed all 302s in the case file.” Id. On review of the motion and supporting declaration, and absent any challenge by plaintiff to the agency’s search, the Court concludes that the FBI’s search for records responsive to plaintiffs request for “FD-302s” pertaining to the Anderson murder investigation was reasonable under the circumstances.