ScorrA.

Honns, ArtonruEy AT LAw

Posr OFFTcF)Rox 42002
'WasHrr{cron'.
DC 200i 5
NO'WV'INFO PRIVACYI,AV/. (] OM
Mrunrn DC auo MD Bans
INFOPRIVACYLA\fl @YAIIOO.COM
(301) 104-0502
March20,2009
U.S.ArmyAccessionsCommand
Attn: ATAL:llA
13073'oAvenue
Ft. Knox,KY 40121-2726

Via Facsimile

FOIARequest

Dear FOIAOfficer:

I make this request on behalf of my client, Citizens for Responsibilityand Ethics in

Washington("CREW').CREWseeksrecordsof the Army RecruitingCommand'sDomestic
Violenceand SexualAssault PreventionBoard('DVSAPB)which meets quarterlyto review
the statusof preventionprograms,trends,analysisof incidentsand futureplans.

CREWseeksrecordspursuantto the Freedomof lnformation Act ('FOIA'),5 U.S.C.SS552,

et seq. Specifically,CREW seeks any and all recordsfrom the U.S. Army, dating from
January1,20011to the presentconcerning:

1) allfindings
of the DVSAPB;

2) all informationon preventionprograms the DVSAPB has considered in making its

findings;

3) alltrendsthe DVSAPBhas consideredin makingitsfindings;

4) all analysesof incidentsas well as any recordsconcerningthese incidentsthat the

DVSAPBhas consideredin makingitsfindings;

5) allfutureplansthatthe DVSAPBhas consideredin makingitsfindings;

6) the Army'spoliciesrelatedto soldiersaccusedof actsof domesticviolence;

7) the numberof soldiersarrestedfor domesticviolencerelatedoffenses;

8) the numberof soldiersprosecuted, the numberof soldiersconvictedand the numberof

soldiersjaibd for domesticviolencecrimes;

' CREWis awarethatthe DVSAPBwasformedin 2008and helditsfirstmeetingon

September26,2008;howeverCREWis interested
in any recordsin DVSAPBfilesthat
datebackto January
1,2001.
9) the numberof soldiers
dishonorably givenbad conductdischarges
discharged, or in the
caseof officers,
thetotalnumberof dismissals;

10) the numberof soldiershonorably

discharged
followinga conviction
for a domestic
violenceoffense:

11)the numberof soldierspromoted

following
a conviction
for a domesticviolenceoffense;

12)the numberof soldiersdeployedwhilea domesticviolenceinvestigation

or prosecution
wasongoing;

13)the numberof soldiersorderedto attendangermanagement classesand/orcounseling

as a resultof a domesticviolencecomplaintpursuantto a deferredprosecution
agreement
or diversionprogram;

or jailedfollowing
14)the numberof soldiersprosecuted a failureto attendmandated
anger
management classes and/or counseling ordered as a result of a domesticviolence
complaint;

15)recordsdemonstratingsoldiers'attendance of suchclasses,and recordspertaining

to
anyactionstakenif andwhensoldiersfailedto attendsuchclassesas ordered;

16)the numberof soldiersissued"nocontact"ordersfollowingdomesticviolencecomplaints

againstthem;

17)the numberof soldierswhoviolated"nocontact"ordersissuedfollowingdomestic

violencecomplaints;
or jailedfor violating
18)the numberof soldiersprosecuted "nocontact"
ordersissued
following
domesticviolencecomplaints;

19)the numberof domesticviolencerelatedoffenses committed by soldiers

against
"no
whom conduct" were
orders in effect
at the timeof the offenses;

20)the numberof timesthe Armyhas requestedthata civilianprosecuting

authority
jurisdiction
transfer crimeto the military;
violence
of a domestic

21)the numberof timesthe Armyhas initiatedits own prosecution againstan alleged

of domesticviolencefollowingthe transferof jurisdiction
perpetrator froma civil
prosecuting
authority;

22)thenumberof timesthe Armyhasdeclinedto prosecute a domesticviolencecrime

a transferof jurisdiction
afterhavingrequested froma civilianprosecutingauthority;
23) any and all decisionsby the Army not to prosecuteany individualfor a domestic
violencecrime becausesuch a prosecutionwould have preventedthe Army from
deployingthe allegedperpetrator to lraq,or any otherforeigncountry;

24) any and all recordsof all case reviewcommittees,includingbut not limitedto those
at FortRileyin Kansasand Fort Braggin NorthCarolina,regardingthe handlingof
domesticviolencecomplaintsand the treatmentof the thosesoldiersallegedto have
committedsuch offenses.

Pleasesearchfor responsiverecordsregardlessof format,mediumor physical

Where possible,pleaseproducerecordselectronically,
characteristics. in PDF or TIF
formaton a CD-ROM. CREW seeks recordsof any kind, includingelectronicrecords,
audiotapes,videotapes,and photographs.CREW'srequestincludesany telephone
messages,voicemail messages,dailyagendaand calendars,information about
scheduledmeetingsand/ordiscussions, whetherin-personor overthe telephone,
agendasfor those meetingsand/ordiscussions,participantsincludedin those meetings
and/ordiscussions, minutesof any such meetingsand/ordiscussions, the topics
discussedat thosemeetingsand/ordiscussions, e-mailregardingmeetingsand/or
discussions,and transcriptsor notesof any such meetingsand/ordiscussions.

lf it is your positionthat any portionof the requestedrecordsis exemptfrom disclosure,

CREW requeststhat you provideit with an indexof those documentsas requiredunder
Vauqhnv. Rosen, 484 F.2d 820 (D.C.Cir. 1973),cert.denied, 415 U.S. 977 (1972).As
you are aware,a Vaughnindexmustdescribeeach documentclaimedas exemptwith
sufficientspecificity"to permita reasonedjudgmentas to whetherthe materialis
actuallyexemptunderthe FOIA." FoundinqChurchof Scientologv v. Bell,603 F.2d
945,949 (D.C.Cir. 1979). Moreover,the Vauqhnindexmust "describeeach document
or portionthereofwithheldand for each withholdingit must discussthe consequences
of supplyingthe sought-after information."Kinqv. U.S. Dep'tof Justice,830 F.2d210,
223-24(D C Cir. 1987)(emphasisadded). Further,"thewithholdingagencymust
supply'arelatively detailedjustification, specificallyidentifying
the reasonswhy a
particularexemptionis relevantand correlatingthose claimswith the particularpart of a
withhelddocumentto which they apply." ld. at 224 (citingMead Data Centralv. U.S.
D e p ' to f t h e A i r F o rce ,5 6 6 F .2 d2 4 2 ,251( D.C.Cir .1977) .

In the eventthat some portionsof the requestedrecordsare properlyexemptfrom

disclosure,pleasediscloseany reasonablysegregablenon-exemptportionsof the
requestedrecords.See 5 U.S.C.S 552(b), lf it is your positionthat a document
containsnon-exemptsegments,but that thosenon-exemptsegmentsare so dispersed
throughoutthe documentas to make segregationimpossible,pleasestatewhat portion
of the documentis non-exempt, and how the materialis dispersedthroughoutthe
document.MeadDataCentral, 566F.2dat 261. Claimsof nonsegregability mustbe
madewiththe samedegreeof detailas requiredfor claimsof exemptions in a Vauqhn
index.lf a requestis deniedin whole,pleasestatespecifically
that it is not reasonable
to segregate portionsof the recordfor release.

FeeWaiverRequest
ln accordance with5 U.S.C.S 5s2(aX4XAXiii)and32 C.F.R.S 518.19(d), CREW
requestsa waiverof feesassociated withprocessing this requestfor records.This
requestfor a fee waiveris becausethe requestis in the publicinterestand CREWis a
memberof the media.
PubliclnterestFeeWaiverRequest

The subjectof thisrequestconcernsthe operations of the federalgovernmentand

expenditures,andthe disclosures will likelycontribute
to a betterunderstanding
of
government
relevant procedures by CREWandthe generalpublicin a significant way.
Moreover, the requestis primarily
andfundamentally for non-commercial purposes.5
U.S.C.$ 552(a)(axAxiii). See,e.q.,McClellan Ecoloqical v. Carlucci,
835F.2d1282,
(gth
1285 Cir.1987).
Theserecordsare likelyto contribute to greaterpublicawareness of the processesthat
the Department of the Armyemploysin responding to allegationsof domesticviolence.
theserecordsare likelyto shedlighton howandwhy Sgt.CarlosRenteria
Specifically,
wasableto evadeconsequences for beatinghiswife,AdrianaRenteria, despite
assurances madeto the Tom GreenCounty,Texasprosecutor thatthe Armywould
handlethe matter.LizetteAlvarez,DespiteAssurances fromArmv,an AssaultCase
FoundersTheNew YorkTimes,November23,2008 (attached as Exhibit1). Further,
giventhatdomestic violenceincidents, includinghomicides, haveincreased among
combattroopsoverthe pasttwo years, is
there substantial publicconcernand interest
in thisissue.Seer.e. LizetteAlvarez and Deborah Sontag,WhenStrainson Militarv
Families TurnDeadlv,TheNew YorkTimes,February 15,2008(attached as Exhibit2);
EstesThompson, Assoclafed Press, Soldier'sDeath Renews Criticismof Armv,The
Houston Chronicle,October 4,2008 (attached as Exhibit3); Paloma Esquiveland
Christine Hanley,FamilvTellsof AlleqedKiller'sPost-lraqMentalTroubles,The Los
AngelesTimes,September 3, 2008(attached as Exhibit4).

CREWis a non-profit corporation,organized underSection501(c)(3) of the lnternal

Revenuecode. CREWis committed to protecting
the public'srightto be awareof the
of government
activities officialsandto ensuringthe integrityof thoseofficials.CREW
is dedicated to empowering voicein government
citizensto havean influential decisions
andin the government decision-making process.CREWusesa combination of
4
research,litigation,
and advocacyto advanceits mission.The releaseof information
garneredthroughthisrequestis notin CREW'sfinancial interest.In addition, CREW
willdisseminate anydocuments fromthisrequestto the publicthrough
it acquires
www.governmentdocs.org, an interactivewebsiteCREWfoundedthat includes
thousands of pages of publicdocuments froma numberof organizations in additionto
CREW.CREW'swebsitealsocontains linksto thousands
of pages of documents
CREW acquired from multipleFOIA requests. See www.citizensforethics.org.
CREW's
websiteincludesdocumentsrelatingto CREW'sFOIAlitigation, InternalRevenue
complaints andFederalElection Commission complaints.
CREWfullysatisfied
Underthesecircumstances, the criteriafor a publicinterestfee
waiver.
Requestfor NewsMediaFeeStatus

CREWalsoasksthat it not be chargedsearchor reviewfeesfor this requestbecause

CREWqualifies as a "representativeof the newsmedia"pursuant to the FOIAand32
C.F.R.S 518.19(d). As notedabove,CREWis a non-profit corporation,
organized
underSection501(cX3) of the lnternalRevenue Code.CREWis committed to
protecting
the public'srightto be awareof the activities
of government officialsandto
ensuringthe integrity
of thoseofficials.To accomplish thisgoal,CREWroutinely and
systematicallydisseminates informationin severalways.

First,CREWmaintains a frequently
visitedwebsite,www.citizensforethics.orq,
which
received 12,827hitsin February2009- an averageof 19 per hour.Thewebsite
reportsthe latestdevelopmentsand containsin-depthinformation
abouta varietyof
of government
activities agenciesand officials.

CREWhasregularly published an onlinenewsletter,

CREWCuts,sinceMayof 2007.
CREWCutscurrentlyhas morethan 13,303subscribers. A completearchiveof past
la
CREW Cuts is avai ble at http://www.
citizen
sforeth
ics.
orq/news
letter.

Furthermore, CREWpublishes a blogthathighlights

the latestnewsfromaroundthe
internet.Citizens
bloggingfor responsibilityandethicsin Washington
(http://uruvw.citizensforethics.org/blog)
reportsand analyzesnewsworthy developments
in government ethicsandcorruption. lt alsoprovides
links,whichdirectreadersto other
newsarticles andcommentary on theseissues.CREW'sbloghad 1,786hitsin
February2OOg.2

CREWhasalsopublishednumerousreportsto educatethe publicaboutgovernment

TheseCREWReportsincludeCREW'sRevolving
ethicsandcorruption. Door,a

2 ThesefiguresincludehitsfromRSSfeedsthoughwhichsubscribers
caneasilytrack
updatesto CREW'sblog.
5
comprehensivelook into the activitiesof 24 membersof former PresidentGeorgeW.
Bush'scabinet,CREW's2008 Top Ten Scandals,CREW's2008 Most Embarrassing
Re-ElectedMembersof Congress,CREW'sannualreporton the most corruptmembers
of Congress,and ThoseWho Dared: 30 OfficialsWho Stood Up For Our Country.
Theseand all of CREW'sreportsare availableon-lineat
http://www.citizensforethics.orq/reports.

Due to theseextensivepublicationactivities,CREW believesit is a "representative

of
the newsmedia"underthe FOIAand agencyregulations.

Conclusion

lf you have any questionsaboutthis requestor foreseeany problemsin fully releasing

the requestedrecords,pleasecontactme at (301) 404-0502.Also, if CREW's request
for a fee waiveris not grantedin full, pleasecontactme immediatelyupon makingsuch
a determination.

S i p c e r e l y ru\
i ,* \;\ llr
\[h).'' lJ
ScottA. Hodes

Enclosures