Fix the Court's 2016 FOIA Request to the U.S. Marshals Service
Note: Bullet point no. 2 on our initial FOIA request, filed May 26, 2016, sought justices’ travel data from all of 2015. Following an exorbitant cost quote from USMS ($4,560), we narrowed that just one month, July 2015, thus reducing our cost to $240, which we paid on July 7, 2016.
FIX THE COURT INITIAL FOIA REQUEST TO U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE (sent 5/26/16; USMS response received 6/22/16)
William E. Bordley
Associate General Counsel
U.S. Marshals Service
Office of General Counsel
CG-3 R1594
Washington, DC 20530-0001
May 26, 2016
Dear Mr. Bordley:
This letter constitutes a request under the Freedom of Information Act regarding activity of the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being submitted on behalf of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for greater openness and accountability in the federal judiciary.
The request seeks the following information:
1. The written USMS guidelines that describe the circumstances under which a member of USMS staff may accompany a U.S. Supreme Court justice on a trip outside of Washington, D.C.;
2: All documents, including memoranda and correspondence, that contain information relating to trips outside of Washington, D.C., on which members of USMS accompanied U.S. Supreme Court justices between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015, including:
a. The name of the justice who took each trip and the dates of each trip;
b. The location, either U.S. or foreign city or airport, from which and to which that justice traveled; and
c. The cost to the USMS for accompanying the justices on each of these trips; and
3. All documents, including memoranda and correspondence, that contain information relating to Justice Antonin Scalia’s travel to Texas in February 2016.
I am willing to pay any fees associated with this matter up to $250. If you estimate that the fees will exceed this limit, please inform me first.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
Gabe Roth
Fix the Court executive director
Leila,
Thank you for speaking with me this morning regarding my FOIA request to the U.S. Marshals Service, no. 2015USMS30492. Upon reflection, I would like to narrow the request to the following:
1. The written USMS guidelines that describe the circumstances under which a member of USMS staff will accompany a U.S. Supreme Court justice on a trip outside of Washington, D.C.;
2. All documents, including memoranda and correspondence, that contain information relating to trips outside of Washington, D.C., on which members of USMS accompanied U.S. Supreme Court justices between July 1, 2015, and July 31, 2015, including:
A. The name of the justice (sitting or retired) who took each trip and the dates of each trip;
B. The location, either U.S. or foreign city or airport, from which and to which that justice traveled; and
C. The cost to the USMS for accompanying the justices on each of these trips; and
3. All documents, including memoranda and correspondence, that contain information relating to Justice Antonin Scalia’s travel to Texas in February 2016.
I remain willing to pay any fees associated with this matter up to $250. If you estimate that the fees will exceed this limit, please inform me first.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
Gabe Roth