Cherokee Nation v. Salazar

986 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 2013 WL 1828052, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61720
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Oklahoma
DecidedApril 30, 2013
DocketCase No. 12-cv-493-GKF-TLW
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 986 F. Supp. 2d 1239 (Cherokee Nation v. Salazar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cherokee Nation v. Salazar, 986 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 2013 WL 1828052, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61720 (N.D. Okla. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

T. LANE WILSON, United States Magistrate Judge.

Before the Court is defendants’ Motion to Compel Return of Inadvertently Pro[1242]*1242duced Documents and Memorandum in Support. (Dkt. # 54). Defendants’ motion seeks the return of twenty documents that they claim are privileged and were inadvertently disclosed to plaintiffs. Id. Because defendants’ motion did not specify that the parties had conferred before the motion was filed, the Court directed the parties to meet and confer to attempt to resolve the discovery dispute. Id. Through a joint notice filed with the Court, the parties stated that they were able to resolve the dispute with respect to nineteen of the twenty documents. (Dkt. # 59). Thereafter, plaintiffs filed a response addressing the single document still at issue. (Dkt. # 62). The Court held a hearing on March 20, 2013, 2013 WL 5329787. (Dkt. # 69).

Background Information and Relevant Facts

Plaintiffs’ lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief from an administrative agency decision, dated July 30, 2012, in which the Department of the Interior approved the acquisition of a parcel of land into trust for use by the United Keetoowah Band Corporation, which had been operating a casino on the property. (Dkt. # 2). Plaintiffs argue that the agency’s decision was “unlawful, unwarranted by the facts, and in excess of its authority....” (Dkt. #2 at 17). Plaintiffs have challenged a number of the findings in the agency decision. (Dkt. # 2 at 18-34).

Because the lawsuit was filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”), defendants “compiled and certified an administrative record that contains the documents directly or indirectly considered by the decision maker in this case.... ” (Dkt. # 54). See also 5 U.S.C. § 706. In their motion, defendants contend that the disputed document was initially included in the privilege log and should have been withheld from disclosure. (Dkt. #54). However, in compiling the administrative record, “the coding for the documents and internal links to the index were altered,” resulting in the inadvertent production of twenty documents, including the disputed document. (Dkt. # 54 at 1-2).

The document at issue contains a string of five emails and a “briefing paper.” (Dkt. # 62, Ex. 1). The email string is dated July 23 and 24, 2012, and originates from Bryan Newland, Senior Policy Advis- or to the Assistant Secretary — Indian Affairs. (Dkt. # 62, Ex. 1). In that email, Mr. Newland requests “a very short briefing paper on the UKB fee to trust application.” (Dkt. # 62, Ex. 1). To assist in preparation of the briefing paper, Mr. Newland attached a template, which was not included in the document. Id. One of the recipients of that email, Scott Keep, responded that he was preparing the draft. Id. Mr. Keep’s email signature states that he works for the Division of Indian Affairs, Office of the Solicitor. Id. On July 24, 2012, Mr. Keep forwarded a copy of the “briefing paper” to the original recipients of the email. Id. Mr. Keep’s email reads as follows: “Attached is my rough draft. Mike has not yet seen it but it is due at noon so any comments would be appreciated.” Id.

The briefing paper is a two-page document titled “United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Trust Acquisition.” (Dkt. # 62, Ex. 1). The briefing paper (1) addresses the agency’s decision to approve the application to place the land into trust; (2) covers the background regarding the history of the United Keetoowah Band and the application at issue; (3) provides an “Overview of Analysis” that outlines the agency’s reasons for granting the application; and (4) cites two “Noteworthy Issues” that separate this decision from [1243]*1243previous Department of Indian Affairs’ decisions. Id.

In their motion, defendants argue that the documents at issue were inadvertently disclosed and that defendants are entitled to an order compelling plaintiffs to return the documents and allowing defendants to file an amended administrative record that excludes the inadvertently disclosed documents. (Dkt. #54). Defendants contend that they took proper steps to rectify the inadvertent production once they discovered it and that they are entitled to relief under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B) and Federal Rule of Evidence 502. (Dkt. # 54). Defendants invoke the attorney-client privilege and the deliberative process privilege as the basis for recovering the documents.1 Id.

In their response, plaintiffs advise the Court that the “meet and confer” resolved most of the dispute. Only the July 23-24, 2012 emails and the briefing paper remain at issue. (Dkt. # 62). Plaintiffs state that they agreed during the meet and confer that the email messages qualified as “attorney comments or opinions” and offered to have those messages redacted “if the two page briefing paper remains part of the Administrative Record as it should.” (Dkt. # 62 at 4).

Plaintiffs argue, however, that the emails and the briefing paper are not subject to either the attorney-client privilege or the deliberative process privilege. (Dkt. # 62). Plaintiffs contend that the email messages contain no legal advice or information that could reveal client confidences. Id. With respect to the briefing paper, plaintiffs argue that Mr. Keep’s role as “in-house counsel” requires heightened scrutiny. (Id., quoting Lindley v. Life Investors Ins. Co., 267 F.R.D. 382, 389 (N.D.Okla.2010)). Plaintiffs imply, but do not argue specifically, that this heightened scrutiny weighs against applying the attorney-client privilege to the briefing paper. (Dkt. # 62). Plaintiffs also argue that the deliberative process privilege does not apply because the briefing paper, on its face, indicates that the decision to take the property into trust was already made; therefore, “[t]he disputed document does not focus on the predecisional process,” which is a requirement for the application of the deliberative process privilege. (Dkt. # 62 at 7).

At the hearing, defendants maintained that both the attorney-client privilege and the deliberative process privilege apply to the document containing the July 23-24, 2012 emails and the briefing paper. (Dkt. # 69, Hearing on Motion to Compel, Jody Schwarz). Defendants argued that the briefing paper was drafted by an attorney and contains the legal reasons that support the acquisition of the land in trust, thereby qualifying the document as subject to the attorney-client privilege. Id. The Court asked defendants to identify language in the briefing paper that was analytical rather than merely a historical recitation of the facts of the case and previous agency decisions. (Dkt. # 69, Hearing on Motion to Compel, United States Magistrate Judge T. Lane Wilson). Defendants argued that the portions of the briefing paper titled “Overview of Analysis” and “Noteworthy Issues” contain advice that explained how the Assistant Secretary would formulate his decision. (Dkt. # 69, Hearing on Motion to Compel, Jody Schwarz).

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Bluebook (online)
986 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 2013 WL 1828052, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cherokee-nation-v-salazar-oknd-2013.