National Lawyers' Guild San Francisco Chapter et al v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al

Filing 54

JOINT STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION AND ORDER TO STAY PROCEEDINGS. Signed by Judge Richard Seeborg on 6/1/11. (cl, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/1/2011)

*E-Filed 6/1/11*
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TONY WEST
Assistant Attorney General
JOHN R. TYLER
Assistant Branch Director
ERIC B. BECKENHAUER, CSBN 237526
Trial Attorney

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U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch
20 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

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Attorneys for Defendants
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

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NATIONAL LAWYERS’ GUILD SAN
FRANCISCO CHAPTER, et al.,

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Plaintiffs,

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No. C 08-5137 RS
JOINT STATUS REPORT
AND STIPULATION TO STAY
PROCEEDINGS; AND [PROPOSED]
ORDER

v.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY, et al.,

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Defendants.
/

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WHEREAS, in an effort to narrow the issues before the Court,

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1.

The parties have entered into a series of stipulations to stay proceedings since April

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24, 2009, to allow Defendants to conduct secondary searches and process potentially responsive

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records, and to allow the parties to confer in an effort to resolve Plaintiffs’ claims without the

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Court’s intervention. On October 30, 2009, as a result of those negotiations, Plaintiffs stipulated that

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they did not contest the adequacy of the searches performed by Defendants DHS, DHS-OIG, or

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CIS, or the propriety of the withholdings made by DHS-OIG; accordingly, pursuant to Rule

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41(a)(1)(A)(ii), the parties filed a stipulation of dismissal of this action with prejudice with respect
NO. C 08-5137 RS
JOINT STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDINGS

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to those Defendants. Negotiations continued with respect to the remaining Defendants: CBP,

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EOIR, and ICE. Most recently, on April 4, 2011, the Court approved the parties’ stipulations (a) to

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further stay proceedings through and including May 31, 2011, and (b) to submit a joint report

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advising the Court on the status of negotiations and/or a stipulation proposing a schedule to

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govern further proceedings, no later than May 31, 2011; and

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2.

As a result of those negotiations, Plaintiffs have stipulated that they do not contest

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either the adequacy of the searches performed, or the propriety of the withholdings made, by CBP,

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EOIR, and ICE. The parties now agree that all merits issues in this case have been resolved; and

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3.

The parties are engaged in discussions about whether an award of attorney’s fees

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and costs is appropriate, and to that end, Plaintiffs have extended a proposal to Defendants. While

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Defendants do not concede that Plaintiffs are entitled to recover any fees or costs in this case, and

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reserve all rights to oppose any bill of costs or motion for attorney’s fees, they are carefully

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considering Plaintiffs’ proposal. Although further negotiation may eliminate the need for judicial

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resolution of any dispute over fees or costs, the parties anticipate that it will take several months

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for their negotiations to conclude; and

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WHEREAS it would minimize litigation costs and conserve judicial resources to permit the
parties to attempt to resolve any dispute over fees or costs without the Court’s intervention,

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IT IS HEREBY AGREED AND STIPULATED by and between the parties, through
undersigned counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that:

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1.

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Further proceedings in this case are stayed for a period of approximately 3 months,
through and including August 31, 2011, and

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2.

No later than August 31, 2011, the parties shall submit a joint report advising

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the Court on the status of the above-mentioned negotiations and/or a stipulation

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proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings.

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//

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//
NO. C 08-5137 RS
JOINT STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDINGS

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Dated: May 31, 2011

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Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Lisa A. Davis
JAYASHRI SRIKANTIAH
IMMIGRANTS’ RIGHTS CLINIC
STANFORD LAW SCHOOL
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

TONY WEST
Assistant Attorney General
JOHN R. TYLER
Assistant Branch Director

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LINTON JOAQUIN
KAREN TUMLIN
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION
LAW CENTER
3435 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2850
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

/s/ Eric B. Beckenhauer
ERIC B. BECKENHAUER, CSBN 237526
Trial Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch
20 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Attorneys for Defendants

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JARED KOPEL
LISA A. DAVIS
DOMINIQUE-CHANTALE ALEPIN
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH &
ROSATI
Professional Corporation
650 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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Attorneys for Plaintiffs

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SIGNATURE ATTESTATION

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In accordance with General Order 45(X), I hereby attest that I have obtained Lisa A.
Davis’s concurrence in the filing of this document.

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/s/ Eric B. Beckenhauer
ERIC B. BECKENHAUER

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[PROPOSED] ORDER
Pursuant to stipulation, IT IS SO ORDERED.

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6/1/11
Dated: ________________________

RICHARD SEEBORG
United States District Judge
NO. C 08-5137 RS
JOINT STATUS REPORT AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDINGS

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