Roybal v. Schnell

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

Roybal v. Schnell

Trial Court Opinion

                 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                           
                     DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                              

Kristopher Lee Roybal; Damion John  Case No. 24-cv-1652 (ECT/DTS)       
Gullickson, Jr.; Shawn Joseph Nelson;                                   
and Cameron Eugene Urban,                                               

     Plaintiffs,                 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION              

v.                                                                      

Paul Schnell, Commissioner of                                           
Correction, sued in his official capacity,                              

     Defendant.                                                         


   The  complaint  filed  in  this  matter  named  sixteen  prisoners  of  the  State  of 
Minnesota as plaintiffs.  All but four of those plaintiffs— Kristopher Lee Roybal; Damion 
John Gullickson, Jr.; Shawn Joseph Nelson; and Cameron Eugene Urban—have been 
dismissed from this matter for failure to prosecute after those plaintiffs failed to apply for 
in forma pauperis (IFP) status or pay the filing fee for this matter.  See Dkt. No. 26 (Report 
and Recommendation); Dkt. No. 30 (Order adopting Report and Recommendation).  The 
four plaintiffs who had submitted IFP applications were each directed to pay the required 
initial partial filing fee for this matter within 21 days of June 27, 2024—that is, by July 18, 
2024—failing which it would be recommended that any non-compliant plaintiff would be 
dismissed  from  this  action  without  prejudice  for  failure  to  prosecute.    See  Fed. R. 
Civ. P. 41(b).                                                            
   Roybal requested (and received) an extension of that deadline until August 12, 
2024, but the other three plaintiffs did not respond in any way to the Court’s order 
establishing an initial partial filing fee.  Roybal now has paid his initial partial filing fee.  
The other plaintiffs, however, have not, and their deadline for doing so (which was never 
extended for them beyond July 18, 2024) has now passed.  Accordingly, this Court now 
recommends, consistent with the warning previously given to Gullickson, Nelson, and 
Urban,  that  those  plaintiffs  be  dismissed  without  prejudice  from  this  action  under 

Rule 41(b) for failure to prosecute.  See Wewerka v. Roper, 
431 F. App’x 517
, 517 
(8th Cir. 2011) (per curiam) (affirming dismissal without prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) 
following prisoner’s failure to pay initial partial filing fee).  The IFP applications filed by 
each of those plaintiffs may be denied as moot should those plaintiffs be dismissed from 
this action for failure to prosecute.  Roybal’s application to proceed IFP will be granted by 
separate order.                                                           
                      RECOMMENDATION                                    
   For the reasons set forth above, the Court RECOMMENDS THAT:          
   1.   Plaintiffs  Damion  John  Gullickson,  Jr.;  Shawn  Joseph  Nelson;  and 
Cameron Eugene Urban be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE from this action.     

   2.   Gullickson’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 22] be 
DENIED AS MOOT.                                                           
   3.   Nelson’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 23] be DENIED 
AS MOOT.                                                                  
   4.   Urban’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 24] be DENIED 
AS MOOT.                                                                  

Dated: August 7, 2024              __s/David T. Schultz_____              
                                 DAVID T. SCHULTZ                       
                                 U.S. Magistrate Judge                  
                           NOTICE                                       

Filing Objections:  This Report and Recommendation is not an order or judgment of the 
District Court and is therefore not appealable directly to the Eighth Circuit Court of 
Appeals.                                                                  

Under Local Rule 72.2(b)(1), “a party may file and serve specific written objections to a 
magistrate judge’s proposed finding and recommendations within 14 days after being 
served a copy” of the Report and Recommendation.  A party may respond to those 
objections  within  14 days  after  being  served  a  copy  of the objections.   See Local 
Rule 72.2(b)(2).  All objections and responses must comply with the word or line limits set 
forth in Local Rule 72.2(c).                                              

Trial Court Opinion

                 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                           
                     DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                              

Kristopher Lee Roybal; Damion John  Case No. 24-cv-1652 (ECT/DTS)       
Gullickson, Jr.; Shawn Joseph Nelson;                                   
and Cameron Eugene Urban,                                               

     Plaintiffs,                 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION              

v.                                                                      

Paul Schnell, Commissioner of                                           
Correction, sued in his official capacity,                              

     Defendant.                                                         


   The  complaint  filed  in  this  matter  named  sixteen  prisoners  of  the  State  of 
Minnesota as plaintiffs.  All but four of those plaintiffs— Kristopher Lee Roybal; Damion 
John Gullickson, Jr.; Shawn Joseph Nelson; and Cameron Eugene Urban—have been 
dismissed from this matter for failure to prosecute after those plaintiffs failed to apply for 
in forma pauperis (IFP) status or pay the filing fee for this matter.  See Dkt. No. 26 (Report 
and Recommendation); Dkt. No. 30 (Order adopting Report and Recommendation).  The 
four plaintiffs who had submitted IFP applications were each directed to pay the required 
initial partial filing fee for this matter within 21 days of June 27, 2024—that is, by July 18, 
2024—failing which it would be recommended that any non-compliant plaintiff would be 
dismissed  from  this  action  without  prejudice  for  failure  to  prosecute.    See  Fed. R. 
Civ. P. 41(b).                                                            
   Roybal requested (and received) an extension of that deadline until August 12, 
2024, but the other three plaintiffs did not respond in any way to the Court’s order 
establishing an initial partial filing fee.  Roybal now has paid his initial partial filing fee.  
The other plaintiffs, however, have not, and their deadline for doing so (which was never 
extended for them beyond July 18, 2024) has now passed.  Accordingly, this Court now 
recommends, consistent with the warning previously given to Gullickson, Nelson, and 
Urban,  that  those  plaintiffs  be  dismissed  without  prejudice  from  this  action  under 

Rule 41(b) for failure to prosecute.  See Wewerka v. Roper, 
431 F. App’x 517
, 517 
(8th Cir. 2011) (per curiam) (affirming dismissal without prejudice pursuant to Rule 41(b) 
following prisoner’s failure to pay initial partial filing fee).  The IFP applications filed by 
each of those plaintiffs may be denied as moot should those plaintiffs be dismissed from 
this action for failure to prosecute.  Roybal’s application to proceed IFP will be granted by 
separate order.                                                           
                      RECOMMENDATION                                    
   For the reasons set forth above, the Court RECOMMENDS THAT:          
   1.   Plaintiffs  Damion  John  Gullickson,  Jr.;  Shawn  Joseph  Nelson;  and 
Cameron Eugene Urban be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE from this action.     

   2.   Gullickson’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 22] be 
DENIED AS MOOT.                                                           
   3.   Nelson’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 23] be DENIED 
AS MOOT.                                                                  
   4.   Urban’s application to proceed in forma pauperis [Dkt. No. 24] be DENIED 
AS MOOT.                                                                  

Dated: August 7, 2024              __s/David T. Schultz_____              
                                 DAVID T. SCHULTZ                       
                                 U.S. Magistrate Judge                  
                           NOTICE                                       

Filing Objections:  This Report and Recommendation is not an order or judgment of the 
District Court and is therefore not appealable directly to the Eighth Circuit Court of 
Appeals.                                                                  

Under Local Rule 72.2(b)(1), “a party may file and serve specific written objections to a 
magistrate judge’s proposed finding and recommendations within 14 days after being 
served a copy” of the Report and Recommendation.  A party may respond to those 
objections  within  14 days  after  being  served  a  copy  of the objections.   See Local 
Rule 72.2(b)(2).  All objections and responses must comply with the word or line limits set 
forth in Local Rule 72.2(c).                                              

Reference

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