BRIGHT v. United States

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

BRIGHT v. United States

Trial Court Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA PANAMA CITY DIVISION

WILLIAM S. BRIGHT,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No. 5:24-cv-245-TKW-MJF

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Defendant. / REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION Because Plaintiff failed to comply with two court orders and failed to prosecute this action, the District Court should dismiss this action without prejudice. I. BACKGROUND On December 26, 2024, the undersigned ordered Plaintiff to provide this court with two identical service copies of his first amended complaint or submit payment of $13.00 to the clerk of the court for the cost of making service copies. Doc. 14. The undersigned imposed a compliance deadline of January 24, 2025 and warned Plaintiff that failure to comply with the order likely would result in dismissal of this action. Id. Plaintiff did not comply with that order. On February 18, 2025, the undersigned ordered Plaintiff to explain

and show cause why he failed to comply with the undersigned’s order of December 26, 2024. Doc. 15. The undersigned imposed a response deadline of March 4, 2025, and again warned Plaintiff that the failure to

comply with the order likely would result in dismissal of this action. As of the date of this report and recommendation, Plaintiff has not complied with the December 26 order, or the February 18 show-cause order.

II. DISCUSSION “Federal courts possess an inherent power to dismiss a complaint for failure to comply with a court order.” Foudy v. Indian River Cnty.

Sheriff’s Off.,

845 F.3d 1117, 1126

(11th Cir. 2017) (citations omitted); N.D. Fla. Loc. R. 41.1 (authorizing the court to dismiss an action, or any claim within it, “[i]f a party fails to comply with an applicable rule or a

court order”). A district court also may dismiss a civil action sua sponte for failure to prosecute. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b); Link v. Wabash R.R. Co.,

370 U.S. 626, 632

(1962). Plaintiff has failed to comply with two court

orders. Plaintiff has offered no excuse for his failures and, consequently, has not shown good cause. Accordingly, dismissal of this civil action is appropriate. III. CONCLUSION

For the reasons set forth above, the undersigned respectfully RECOMMENDS that the District Court: 1. DISMISS this civil action without prejudice.

2. DIRECT the clerk of the court to close the case file. At Panama City, Florida, this 25th day of March, 2025. /s/ Michael J. Frank Michael J. Frank United States Magistrate Judge

NOTICE TO THE PARTIES The District Court referred this case to the undersigned to address preliminary matters and to make recommendations regarding dispositive matters. See N.D. Fla. Loc. R. 72.2; see also

28 U.S.C. § 636

(b)(1)(B), (C); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b). Objections to these proposed findings and recommendations must be filed within fourteen (14) days of the date of the report and recommendation. Any different deadline that may appear on the electronic docket is for the court’s internal use only and does not control. An objecting party must serve a copy of the objections on all other parties. A party who fails to object to the magistrate judge’s findings or recommendations contained in a report and recommendation waives the right to challenge on appeal the district court’s order based on unobjected-to factual and legal conclusions. See 11th Cir. R. 3-1;

28 U.S.C. § 636

.

Reference

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