Derrick M. Williams v. Officer Bryan Bracey; The City of Drew; Investigator...

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI GREENVILLE DIVISION DERRICK M. WILLIAMS PLAINTIFF

VS. CIVIL ACTION NO.: 4:25-cv-89-RPC-JMV OFFICER BRYAN BRACEY; THE CITY OF DREW; INVESTIGATOR EDWARD DWIGHT LUCAS, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY; CHIEF TERRY TYLER, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY; SUNFLOWER COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI; AUTHOR CALDERON, PUBLIC DEFENDER IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY; TAKIYAH H. PERKINS, IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY; JUDGE RICHARD A. SMITH, IN THE OFFICIAL CAPACITY; JAMES LITTLETON, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY; WASHINGTON COUNTY JAILERS, IN THEIR OFFICIAL CAPACITY; WASHINGTON COUNTY REGIONAL FACILITY; WASHINGTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI; THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; THE COUNTY JAIL SUNFLOWER COUNTY; AND SUNFLOWER COUNTY DEFENDANTS ORDER DENYING MOTIONS FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT This matter is before the Court on Williams’s motions seeking default judgment [Doc. 76] against Defendants Sunflower County, Washington County, the City of Drew, and Bryan Bracey.

Pursuant to Rule 55 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, federal courts have the authority to enter a default judgment against a defendant who has failed to plead or otherwise defend upon motion of the plaintiff. Under Fifth Circuit law, there are three steps to obtaining a default judgment: first, default by the defendant; second, clerk’s entry of default; and third, entry of a default judgment.

Nutrien Ag Sols., Inc. v. DC Farms, LLC, No. 4:18-CV-237-DMB-JMV, 2019 WL 6255495, *2 (N.D. Miss. Nov. 22, 2019) (internal citations omitted). The City of Drew and Bryan Bracey filed an answer to Williams’s complaint on September 10, 2025, [Doc. 65] and are no longer parties pursuant to the Court’s Orders [Docs. 117, 118]. The motions against them are therefore MOOT.

As for the other parties, Sunflower County and Washington County, Williams has not obtained entry of default by the clerk as required under Fifth Circuit law. Williams’s motions for default judgment [Doc. 76] are therefore DENIED.

SO ORDERED, this the 13th day of May, 2026.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE