FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
CENTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, )
et al., )
)
Plaintiffs, )
) Civil Action
v. ) No. 01-2500
)
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, ) Judge Kessler
)
Defendant. )
______________________________________)
MOTION TO REQUIRE EXPEDITED RESPONSES TO DISCOVERY
Pursuant to Rules 26(d) and 33(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, plaintiffs hereby move for the entry of an order requiring defendant to respond to the attached Plaintiffs’ Requests for Admissions, Plaintiffs’ Interrogatories, and Plaintiffs’ Requests for Production of Documents within seven working days of the Court’s order granting plaintiffs’ motion under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(f). Defendant does not consent to this motion.
Points and Authorities
Rules 26(d) and 33(a) authorize the Court to order expedited responses to discovery for good cause. See 8 Charles Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Richard L. Marcus, Federal Practice & Procedure § 2046. A party’s need for timely information constitutes good cause. See Whitkop v. Baldwin, 1 F.R.D. 169 (D. Mass. 1939); Optic-Electronic Corp. v. United States, 683 F. Supp. 269, 271 (D.D.C. 1987) (granting motion for expedited discovery where "[i]t is in the best interest of all parties to have this case resolved as soon as possible").
Here, the defendant agencies agreed that plaintiffs’ FOIA requests were entitled to expedited treatment, and the government has agreed to expedite the litigation of this case. For the same reasons, discovery should be expedited.
Plaintiffs’ requests are directly relevant to their forthcoming opposition to defendant’s pending motion for summary judgment and will not require burdensome searches. Accordingly, our request that defendant be required to respond within seven working days of the Court’s order granting plaintiffs’ motion under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(f) will not be burdensome.
For these reasons, the motion should be granted. A proposed order is attached.
Respectfully submitted,
_____________________________________
David L. Sobel
D.C. Bar No. 360418
Electronic Privacy Information Center
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. #200
Washington, DC 20009
tel. 202-483-1140
fax 202-483-1248
_____________________________________
Arthur B. Spitzer
D.C. Bar. No. 235960
American Civil Liberties Union
of the National Capital Area
1400 20th Street, N.W. #119
Washington, D.C. 20036
tel. 202-457-0800
fax 202-452-1868
Kate Martin
D.C. Bar No. 949115
Center for National Security Studies
2130 H Street, N.W. #701
Washington, D.C. 20037
202-994-7060
Steven R. Shapiro
Lucas Guttentag
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
125 Broad Street
New York, N.Y. 10004
212-549-2500
Elliot M. Mincberg
D.C. Bar No. 941575
People For the American Way Foundation
2000 M Street N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20036
tel. 202-467-4999
fax 202-293-2672
Counsel for Plaintiffs
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing Motion to Require Expedited Responses to Discovery was served by first-class mail and by fax upon:
David J. Anderson, Esq.
Anne L. Weismann, Esq.
Lisa A. Olson, Esq.
United States Department of Justice
Civil Division, Room 1052
901 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
fax: 202-616-8470
this 12th day of February, 2002.
________________________
Arthur B. Spitzer
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
CENTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES, )
et al., )
)
Plaintiffs, )
)
v. ) Civil Action
) No. 01-2500
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, )
) Judge Kessler
Defendant. )
______________________________________)
ORDER
Upon consideration of plaintiffs’ Motion to Require Expedited Responses to Discovery, it appearing to the court that good cause exists therefor, it is, this _____ day of February, 2002, hereby ORDERED, that defendant shall serve upon plaintiffs, by hand delivery or fax transmission, their responses to Plaintiffs’ Requests for Admissions, Interrogatories, and Requests for Production of Documents within seven working days of the date of this order.
___________________________
Gladys Kessler
United States District Judge
Copies of the foregoing order shall be served upon:
David L. Sobel
Electronic Privacy Information Center
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. #200
Washington, DC 20009
Arthur B. Spitzer
American Civil Liberties Union
of the National Capital Area
1400 20th Street, N.W. #119
Washington, D.C. 20036
Kate Martin
Center for National Security Studies
2130 H Street, N.W. #701
Washington, D.C. 20037
Steven R. Shapiro
Lucas Guttentag
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
125 Broad Street
New York, N.Y. 10004
Elliot M. Mincberg
People For the American Way Foundation
2000 M Street N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20036
David J. Anderson
Anne L. Weismann
Lisa A. Olson
United States Department of Justice
Civil Division, Room 1052
901 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20530