Robert Green Maeschack v. Parrar et al
Filing
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ORDER DISMISSING ACTION FOR FAILURE TO PROSECUTE by Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. Accordingly, this action is dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute. Case Terminated. Made JS-6. (et)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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ROBERT GREEN MAESCHACK,
Plaintiff,
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v.
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DR. PARRAR, et al.,
R Case No. 2:18-04224 MFW (ADS)
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c
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a ORDER DISMISSING ACTION FOR
r FAILURE TO PROSECUTE
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Defendant.
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I.
INTRODUCTION
Plaintiff Robert Green Maeschack (“Plaintiff”), an inmate at California Men’s
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Colony proceeding pro se, filed a civil rights Complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. [Dkt.
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No. 1]. On May 29, 2019, during screening, the Court dismissed the Complaint with
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leave to amend and granted Plaintiff leave to file a First Amended Complaint by no later
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than June 28, 2019. [Dkt. No. 7]. On October 4, 2019, the Court issued an Order to
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Show Cause Why Case Should Not Be Dismissed for Failure to Prosecute and Obey
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Court Orders requiring a response by October 25, 2019. [Dkt. No. 9]. Plaintiff has not
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filed any response to the May 29, 2019 Order Dismissing with Leave to Amend, or to the
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October 4, 2019 Order to Show Cause. Plaintiff’s last submission to the Court was filed
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on May 18, 2018. [Dkt. No. 2].
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II.
DISCUSSION
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Dismissal of this action is warranted due to Plaintiff’s failure to prosecute the
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case and comply with court orders. The Court has the inherent power to achieve the
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orderly and expeditious disposition of cases by dismissing actions pursuant to Fed. R.
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Civ. P. 41(b) for failure to prosecute and failure to comply with a court order. See Link v.
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Wabash R.R. Co., 370 U.S. 626, 629-30 (1962); see also Pagtalunan v. Galaza, 291
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F.3d 639, 640 (9th Cir. 2002). The Court weighs the following factors when
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determining whether to dismiss an action for failure to comply with a court order or
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failure to prosecute: (1) the public’s interest in the expeditious resolution of litigation;
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(2) the Court’s need to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the defendant;
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(4) the public policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits; and (5) the availability
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of less drastic sanctions. Pagtalunan, 291 F.3d at 642.
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Here, the first, second, third, and fifth factors weigh in favor of dismissal. First,
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Plaintiff has failed to engage with this case in any way since May 2018 and failed to
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respond to the Court’s May 29, 2019 Order Dismissing with Leave to Amend, or to the
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October 4, 2019 Order to Show Cause. This failure to prosecute the case has interfered
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with the public’s interest in the expeditious resolution of this litigation and the Court’s
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need to manage its docket. See Yourish v. California Amplifier, 191 F.3d 983, 990 (9th
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Cir. 1999) (“[T]he public’s interest in expeditious resolution of litigation always favors
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dismissal.”). Second, Plaintiff has failed to rebut the presumption that defendants have
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been prejudiced by this unreasonable delay. In re Eisen, 31 F.3d 1447, 1452-53 (9th Cir.
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1994) (“The law presumes injury from unreasonable delay.”) (quoting Anderson v. Air
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West, Inc., 542 F.2d 522, 524 (9th Cir. 1976)). Third, there is no less drastic sanction
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available as the Court has warned Plaintiff multiple times that the case would be
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dismissed. Accordingly, the Court has taken meaningful steps to explore alternatives to
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dismissal. See Henderson v. Duncan, 779 F.2d 1421, 1424 (9th Cir. 1986) (“The district
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court need not exhaust every sanction short of dismissal before finally dismissing a case,
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but must explore possible and meaningful alternatives.”). Finally, although the fourth
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factor always weighs against dismissal, here Plaintiff’s failure to discharge his
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responsibility to move the case towards a disposition outweighs the public policy
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favoring disposition on the merits. Morris v. Morgan Stanley Co., 942 F.2d 648, 652
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(9th Cir. 1991) (“Although there is indeed a policy favoring disposition on the merits, it
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is the responsibility of the moving party to move towards that disposition at a
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reasonable pace, and to refrain from dilatory and evasive tactics.”). Having weighed
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these factors, the Court finds that dismissal of this action without prejudice is
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warranted.
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III.
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, this action is dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute.
Judgment is to be entered accordingly.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated: November 18, 2019
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_________________________________
MICHAEL W. FITZGERALD
United States District Judge
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Presented by:
/S/ Autumn D. Spaeth_______________
THE HONORABLE AUTUMN D. SPAETH
United States Magistrate Judge
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