United States of America v. Thomas Barnes

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Case No. 2:25-cv-1384-HL Plaintiff, ORDER v. THOMAS BARNES, Defendant.

Michael H. Simon, District Judge.

United States Magistrate Judge Hallman issued Findings and Recommendation in this case on February 9, 2026. Judge Hallman recommended that this Court grant the United States’ Motion for Default Judgment, ECF 7, and allow the United States to recover $80,405.00 in damages and costs plus any post-judgment interest that may accrue. No party has filed objections.

Under the Federal Magistrates Act (“Act”), the court may “accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate.” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). If a party objects to a magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations, “the court shall make a de novo determination of those portions of the report or specified proposed findings or recommendations to which objection is made.” Id.; Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(3).

If no party objects, the Act does not prescribe any standard of review. See Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 152 (1985) (“There is no indication that Congress, in enacting [the Act], intended to require a district judge to review a magistrate’s report to which no objections are filed.”); United States v. Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir. 2003) (en banc) (holding that the court must review de novo magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations if objection is made, “but not otherwise”).

Although review is not required in the absence of objections, the Act “does not preclude further review by the district judge[] sua sponte . . . under a de novo or any other standard.”

Thomas, 474 U.S. at 154. Indeed, the Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 72(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure recommend that “[w]hen no timely objection is filed,” the court review the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations for “clear error on the face of the record.”

No party having made objections, the Court follows the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and reviews Judge Hallman’s Findings and Recommendation for clear error on the face of the record. No such error is apparent.

The Court ADOPTS Judge Hallman’s Findings and Recommendation, ECF 8. The Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment and awards damages and costs in the amount of $80,405.00 plus post-judgment interest.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED this 5th day of March, 2026. /s/ Michael H. Simon Michael H. Simon United States District Judge