Stephen Yagman v. United States Bureau of Prisons

MEMORANDUM

Stephen Yagman appeals the district court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) in his action under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (“FOIA”), seeking the full name, prison number, and mailing address of every person in BOP custody. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . Reviewing the district court’s findings of fact for clear .error, its conclusions of law regarding the applicability of a FOIA exemption de novo, and its decisions concerning discovery for abuse of discretion, Lane v. Dep’t of Interior, 523 F.3d 1128, 1134-35 (9th Cir.2008), we affirm.

1. The district court properly concluded that FOIA Exemptions 6 and 7(C) apply because disclosure of the requested documents would constitute an invasion of the inmates’ privacy, and Yagman failed to demonstrate how disclosure of the information would further the public’s interest in shedding light on government action. Lahr v. Nat’l Transp. Safety Bd., 569 F.3d 964, 973 (9th Cir.2009) (explaining that “we must balance the privacy interest protected by the exemptions against the public interest in government openness that would be served by disclosure”); Prudential…