Halkin v. Helms
United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia
690 F.2d 977 (1982)
After Vietnam-era CIA surveillance programs targeting war critics (including Operation CHAOS and NSA watchlist submissions) came to light, 21 individuals and five organizations (plaintiffs) who had been surveilled sued various CIA and government officials (defendants) for damages and injunctive relief, alleging constitutional and statutory violations. During discovery, the CIA director invoked the state secrets privilege to withhold certain requested documents concerning the surveillance programs, and the district court declined to compel their production and dismissed the complaint; the plaintiffs appealed.
Whether the CIA and other government agencies may withhold documents concerning national security intelligence-gathering programs from discovery under the state secrets doctrine.