Opinion ID: 437447
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Arguments on Cross-Appeal

Text: 247 Plaintiffs petitioned below for an order requiring destruction of files about them that are in the custody of the FBI. Judge Oberdorfer denied the motion, principally on the ground that an outstanding order of the District Court, in a separate case, precluded the FBI from destroying the records. See Hobson v. Wilson, No. 76-1326, slip op. at 6 (D.D.C. July 22, 1982) (citing American Friends Service Committee v. Webster, No. 79-1655 (D.D.C. July 1, 1981) (H. Greene, J.)), reprinted in I J.A. 549. Plaintiffs renew their request on appeal, in response to which the FBI makes four arguments. Because we find none of these arguments persuasive, and believe the case to which Judge Oberdorfer refers does not preclude such an order, we remand to the District Court for reconsideration of plaintiffs' petition. 248 Plaintiffs argue, in essence, that the FBI's continued possession of files pertaining to them is unlawful. They point to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(e)(7) (1982), which provides that no agency shall maintain records describing how an individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, and to 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(e)(1) (1982), which provides that only such information as is relevant and necessary to accomplish a purpose of the agency shall be maintained. Records retained in violation of such prohibitions must be expunged, they assert. 182 In addition, they argue that a federal court may order expungement of records when necessary to vindicate First Amendment rights, and that such relief is proper here. The FBI challenges both of these arguments. 249 First, the FBI argues that the files are necessary for purposes of this litigation. Surely that need does not stand in the way of destruction after all issues are finally resolved. The FBI admits as much, 183 and we cannot imagine any court would order expungement, if appropriate, prior to resolution of the case. 250 Second, the FBI cites to chapters 31 (Records Management by Federal Agencies) and 33 (Disposal of Records) of Title 44 of the United States Code for the proposition that it may only destroy records pursuant to the scheme set out in Title 44. The FBI asserts that under section 3101 the FBI must maintain records of its investigative activities, 184 and that destruction of records thus maintained may occur only under the terms prescribed in chapter 33 of Title 44. Section 3314 provides that procedures set out in chapter 33 are exclusive, and records of the United States Government may not be alienated or destroyed except under this chapter. Chapter 33 establishes detailed procedures for promulgation of regulations for compiling lists of records proposed for destruction, for submission of such lists to the General Services Administration by agency heads, and for authorization from the Administrator prior to destruction. Accordingly, the FBI apparently concludes, no court may order the FBI to destroy records except pursuant to this procedure. 251 The flaw in the FBI's argument is that this Circuit has expressly held that chapters 31 and 33 must yield to statutory or constitutional rights elsewhere guaranteed: 252 Were it necessary to protect important statutory or constitutional rights of appellee, expungement in this case would not be prevented, as the Government has argued, by the command of 44 U.S.C. Sec. 3314 (1970) that Government records may not be alienated or destroyed except under this chapter. Since it clearly effects no repeal of other provisions, this general statutory command must be reconciled with other statutory requirements, and must bow to them when they are more specific, as of course it must bow to the Constitution. 253 Chastain v. Kelley, 510 F.2d 1232, 1236 n. 4 (D.C.Cir.1975). Indeed, it is now well-established that an order for expungement of records is, in proper circumstances, a permissible remedy for an agency's violation of the Privacy Act. Two cases have expressly held this to be true when an agency has violated the Act's prohibition on maintenance of records describing an individual's exercise of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, contained in 5 U.S.C. Secs. 552a(e)(7) (1982). See Clarkson v. Internal Revenue Service, 678 F.2d 1368, 1376-77 (11th Cir.1982); Albright v. United States, 631 F.2d 915, 921 (D.C.Cir.1980). It is equally well-established that expungement of records is, in proper circumstances, a proper remedy in an action brought directly under the Constitution. See Paton v. La Prade, 524 F.2d 862 (3d Cir.1975); Chastain v. Kelley, 510 F.2d at 1235; cf. Metadure Corp. v. United States, 490 F.Supp. 1368 (S.D.N.Y.1980) (plaintiff may assert both Privacy Act and constitutional claims concerning agency record maintenance). Accordingly, we must reject the defendants' argument regarding the applicability of Title 44. 254 Third, the FBI argues that the District Court has enjoined it from destroying or otherwise disposing of its files, and that the few exemptions to the ban against destruction are not pertinent to the circumstances of this case. 185 We disagree. In American Friends Service Committee v. Webster, No. 79-1655 (D.D.C. July 1, 1981), aff'd in relevant respects, 720 F.2d 29 (D.C.Cir.1983), Judge Harold Greene issued an order halting the FBI destruction of records on the ground that the FBI and the National Archives and Records Service had failed to carry out their statutory responsibility to develop records disposal schedules, in contravention of various chapters of Title 44. Judge Greene's order expressly exempted several categories of records, including Privacy Act expungement material, from the injunction. See American Friends Service Committee v. Webster, No. 79-1655, slip op. at 3 n. 3, 11-12 (D.D.C. June 9, 1981), reprinted in I J.A. 511, 513, 521-22. Thus, insofar as plaintiffs' request for expungement results from a violation of the Privacy Act, the injunction would not be relevant. Moreover, particularly in light of the rationale for the injunction, we certainly do not read Judge Greene's order as barring courts from ordering the expungement of records for statutory or constitutional violations. For the very same reasons that certain record destruction is permissible outside the scope of chapters 31 and 33 of Title 44--with which the American Friends injunction is principally concerned--certain court-ordered expungements may be carried out during the pendency of the injunction. It would simply be inconsistent with case law in this Circuit to construe the injunction, which is narrowly directed at FBI compliance with relevant chapters of Title 44, to preclude courts from ordering expungement in circumstances that we have previously identified as not controlled by the scheme set out in Title 44. 255 Fourth, the FBI argues that to turn over the original files to plaintiffs would nullify claims of privilege asserted in this action. This argument exemplifies a certain confusion, apparent in both parties' briefs, concerning the remedy plaintiffs seek. To the extent that plaintiffs seek complete expungement from FBI files to prevent use of the records against them at some future date, plaintiffs need not receive copies of the complete records. To the extent they wish to receive copies of the records, the issues concerning the FBI's ability to destroy them are irrelevant. We believe the latter issue--i.e., plaintiffs' access to the records--has been resolved with our affirmance of the District Court's holding on privilege and need not be reconsidered. The former argument, on which we focus, is in no way affected by the claims of privilege. 256 In light of the foregoing, we find no merit to defendants' arguments in support of the District Court's ruling on expungement, or to the reasons offered by the District Court in its denial. We therefore remand this issue for a hearing on the merits. As we understand the posture of this case, plaintiffs seek expungement of their records under the Constitution. In such a case, [d]etermination of the propriety of an order directing expungement involves a balancing of interests; the harm caused to an individual by the existence of any records must be weighed against the utility to the Government of their maintenance. Paton v. La Prade, 524 F.2d at 868; see Chastain v. Kelley, 510 F.2d at 1236-37 (District Court should consider extent to which the information in the Bureau's files violates appellee's rights without serving any legitimate needs of the Bureau.). In conducting such an inquiry, a court must bear in mind the limited relevance of cases involving expungement of criminal records, where the potential prejudicial effect ... far exceed[s] that of the information here at issue. Chastain, 510 F.2d at 1237. While such an inquiry is well within the equitable power of the court, where necessary to vindicate rights secured by the Constitution, it may be that the court can resolve the issue on statutory grounds without reaching the constitutional question. Once before, when confronted with a petition for expungement based on the Constitution, we based our decision ordering expungement on statutory grounds. In Menard v. Saxbe, 498 F.2d 1017 (D.C.Cir.1974), we granted a request for expungement based on arguments that record maintenance violated several of plaintiff's constitutional rights, on the ground that maintenance of the record was beyond the statutory authority of the agency in question. Similarly, in this case it is conceivable that the limitations of the Privacy Act, regarding maintenance of files concerning the exercise of First Amendment rights, see 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(e)(7) (1982), will remove the need to decide whether or to what extent the Constitution forbids the Government from contributing to the harm to the individual that may attend maintenance of a file such as those at issue here. Menard v. Saxbe, 498 F.2d at 1029. Accordingly, we remand for consideration of whether the FBI's maintenance of records on plaintiffs violates the Privacy Act, and, if so, whether the violation warrants expungement in whole or part. 186 If the Privacy Act does not require the relief sought, then plaintiffs' claim based on the Constitution must be addressed.