Memorandum
Date: 3/9/81
To: Mr. Finzel
From: [name deleted]
Subject: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. PEOPLE’S TEMPLE
(USDC, ND CAL.)
CIVIL ACTION NO. 79-0126 SC
PURPOSE: To notify the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts (FOIPA) Section the current status of the above-captioned civil action.
RECOMMENDATION: That any FOIPA releases contemplated with regard to People’s Temple (RYMUR) materials be coordinated with Civil Discovery Review Unit #2 (CDRU-2).
DETAILS: By Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum dated 2/25/81, Alan J. Sobol, General Litigation and Legal Advice Section, Criminal Division, DOJ, requested James G. Bruen, Jr., Special Litigation Counsel, Civil Division, DOJ, to withhold document production to the plaintiffs in the civil action re People’s Temple under the Investigatory Files Privilege and as Attorney Work Product in the criminal trial. This request was made in order to avoid disclosing information pertinent to the prosecutive strategy of the Criminal Division in the trial of Laurence Layton with regard to the murder of Congressman Leo Ryan.
In keeping with this request, CDRU-2 is holding in abeyance the release of all material processed for release in the above-captioned matter.