Leegrand v. Harding
Leegrand v. Harding
Trial Court Opinion
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
DUBLIN DIVISION
ISAIAH LEEGRAND, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) CV 322-008 ) BRIAN HARDING, Officer; JACOB ) BEASLEY, Warden; TIMOTHY C. ) WARD, Commissioner; TELFAIR ) STATE PRISON; JOHN DOE, Floor ) Officer; JOHN DOE, Dept. Warden; ) and JOHN OR JANE DOE, doctor/nurse, ) ) Defendants. ) _________________________________________________________
MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION _________________________________________________________ Plaintiff, incarcerated at Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis (“IFP”) in this case brought pursuant to
42 U.S.C. § 1983. Because Plaintiff is proceeding IFP, his complaint must be screened to protect potential defendants. Phillips v. Mashburn,
746 F.2d 782, 785(11th Cir. 1984) (per curiam); Al-Amin v. Donald,
165 F. App’x 733, 736(11th Cir. 2006) (per curiam). Upon screening Plaintiff’s complaint on July 22, 2022, the Court determined Plaintiff’s allegations did not provide sufficient detail to show he had any viable claims. (See doc. no. 19.) Nonetheless, the Court gave Plaintiff fourteen days to file an amended complaint to address the pleading deficiencies. (Id. at 5-7.) The Court cautioned Plaintiff that failing to timely submit an amended complaint would result in a presumption by the Court he desires to have this case voluntarily dismissed and would result in a recommendation for dismissal of this action, without prejudice. (Id. at 7.) The time to respond has passed, and Plaintiff has not submitted an amended complaint as required by the Court’s Order.
A district court has authority to manage its docket to expeditiously resolve cases, and this authority includes the power to dismiss a case for failure to prosecute or failure to comply with a court order. Equity Lifestyle Props., Inc. v. Fla. Mowing & Landscape Serv., Inc.,
556 F.3d 1232, 1240(11th Cir. 2009) (citing Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b)); see also Eades v. Ala. Dep’t of Human Res.,
298 F. App’x 862, 863(11th Cir. 2008) (per curiam) (“District courts possess the ability to dismiss a case . . . for want of prosecution based on two possible sources of authority: Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) or their inherent authority to manage their dockets.”).
Moreover, the Local Rules of the Southern District of Georgia dictate that an “assigned Judge may, after notice to counsel of record, sua sponte . . . dismiss any action for want of prosecution, with or without prejudice . . . [for] [w]illful disobedience or neglect of any order of the Court; or [a]ny other failure to prosecute a civil action with reasonable promptness.” Loc. R. 41.1 (b) & (c). Finally, dismissal without prejudice is generally appropriate pursuant to Rule 41(b) where a plaintiff has failed to comply with a court order, “especially where the litigant has been forewarned.” Owens v. Pinellas Cnty. Sheriff’s Dep’t,
331 F. App’x 654, 655(11th Cir. 2009) (per curiam) (citing Moon v. Newsome,
863 F.2d 835, 837(11th Cir. 1989)). Here, Plaintiff’s failure to file an amended complaint, or even to provide the Court with an explanation for his failure to amend his complaint, amounts not only to a failure to prosecute, but also an abandonment of his case. This is precisely the type of neglect contemplated by the Local Rules. The Court cautioned Plaintiff that a failure to respond would be an election to have his case voluntarily dismissed. Furthermore, because Plaintiff is proceeding IFP, the Court finds that the imposition of monetary sanctions is not a feasible sanction. In sum, the time to respond has passed, and Plaintiff has not submitted an amended complaint as required by the Court’s July 22nd Order. Therefore, the Court REPORTS and RECOMMENDS this case be DISMISSED without prejudice and that this civil action be CLOSED. SO REPORTED and RECOMMENDED this 12th day of August, 2022, at Augusta, Georgia.
.K UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
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