In Defense of Animals v. Department of Agriculture, 656 F. Supp. 2d 68 (D.D.C. 2009)
Case Summary:
We represent In Defense of Animals (IDA) in a Freedom of Information Act case against the US Department of Agriculture concerning its investigation of, and subsequent enforcement proceeding against, Huntingdon Laboratories, a New Jersey company engaged in animal research. As a result of an undercover investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals showing deplorable treatment of animals, in 1997-98 the USDA brought its own investigation and charged the company with twenty three violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA and Huntingdon then settled the case with Huntingdon paying a modest penalty and promising to upgrade some of its facilities. The USDA has refused to provide IDA and the public with access to the results of its investigation or the negotiations leading to the settlement, claiming that such information is exempt from FOIA as confidential commercial information.
Plaintiff: In Defense of Animals
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Case Timeline:
03/22/02 - Complaint filed
02/21/03 - Plaintiffs Move for Partial Summary Judgment
09/24/04 - Court grants in part and denies in part Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment. The Defendant's are ordered to produce a comprehensive Vaughn index.
10/28/05 - Plaintiffs file a renewed Motion for Summary Judgment
05/18/06 - Summary Jugment Motions are transferred to Hon. Louis Oberdorfer for resolution
08/06/07
- Hon. Oberdorfer denies both Plaintiff's and Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment
12/11/08 - Plaintiffs file Pre-Trial Brief
12/16/08 - 2/17/08 - Trial
01/30/09 - Plaintiffs file Proposed Findings of Fact
09/18/09 - Court enters judgment for the Plaintiffs
Current - On appeal