No. 25-1423October Term 2025Before Arguments
Mark Geraghty Wonders, Petitioner v. Office of the Army General Counsel
from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Case status
- Current stage
- Before Arguments
- Latest event
- Accepted by the Court
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Question presented
1. Did the Agency violate the law by disregarding a judge ’ s order and release only one of two legal reviews to the Petitioner in a security clearance hearing? 2. Did the Agency violate the law by misrepresenting the withheld legal review as a different Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") document, and completely redacting it, prior to submitting it to the Petitioner? 3. Did the Agency violate the law by denying the Petitioner ’ s subsequent 2012 and 2014 FOIA requests for the withheld legal review based upon claims of attorney-client privilege and FOIA protection not codified into the regulation until 2016?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Administrative Law
Timing
Expected by late June 2026, if argued this term
The Court granted review but has not yet scheduled oral argument. Once argued, the median case reaches a decision in 94 days. Nearly all cases are decided by the end of the term in which they are argued.
Briefing
What it's about
This is a request asking the Supreme Court to hear a fight over a legal review used in a security-clearance hearing and later FOIA (the federal public-records law) requests. Wonders says the agency released only one of two legal reviews, described the other as a different FOIA record, and later kept denying access to it.
Argument
The case is still at the certiorari (the Court's decision to hear a case) stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. The petition says the agency withheld a legal review, described it as a different FOIA record, and later denied FOIA requests for it.
Impact
The case could affect people trying to get records from federal agencies, especially when those records matter in security-clearance disputes. For example, it could shape what an agency must turn over or explain when it says a document is protected.
What is Mark Geraghty Wonders v. Office of the Army General Counsel about?
The petition says the agency withheld one of two legal reviews in a security-clearance hearing. It also says the agency later denied FOIA requests for that review.
Who could be affected if the Court takes this case?
People seeking records from federal agencies could be affected, especially in security-clearance disputes. The case could shape how agencies explain withheld documents and protection claims.
What happens next in Mark Geraghty Wonders?
The justices must decide whether to hear the case. No argument is scheduled, and no decision window is available yet.
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology