Coleman v. Drug Enforcement Administration

Reversed and remanded by published opinion. Judge WILKINSON wrote the opinion, in which Chief Judge TRAXLER and Judge NIEMEYER joined.

OPINION

WILKINSON, Circuit Judge:

In February 2008, appellant John Coleman filed a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request with appellee Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) for documents concerning the federal government’s regulation of the drug carisoprodol. Despite a statutory mandate requiring agencies to respond to FOIA requests and appeals within twenty working days, the DEA took more than sixteen months to respond to Coleman’s request, eventually…