Payne v. Runner
Filing
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FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATION to Dismiss 1 Action for Failure to Follow Court Order; ORDER DIRECTING Clerk of Court to Assign District Court Judge to the Present Matter signed by District Judge Dale A. Drozd on 4/25/2016. Referred to Judge Dale A. Drozd. Objections to F&R due by 5/31/2016. The new case number is 1:16-cv-00072-DAD-MJS(HC). (Sant Agata, S)
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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1:16-cv-00072 MJS HC
JENNIFER ANN PAYNE,
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v.
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FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION TO
Petitioner, DISMISS ACTION FOR A FAILURE TO
FOLLOW COURT ORDER
ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT
TO ASSIGN DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TO
THE PRESENT MATTER
GEORGE RUNNER,
Respondent.
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On January 15, 2016, Petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus. On
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January 25, 2016, the Court screened the petition and found that it failed to state
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grounds for relief or facts supporting grounds and thus failed to provide Respondent
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proper notice of the claims; the Court did, however, grant Petitioner leave to file an
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amended petition, and provided a blank habeas form for him to use in doing so. (ECF
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No. 4.) Petitioner was provided thirty (30) days to respond to the order and was
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forewarned that failure to respond would result in the dismissal of the petition. (Id.)
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Petitioner did not file a response to the order.
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On March 14, 2016, the Court issued an order to show cause why the petition
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should not be dismissed for failure to comply with the Court’s order. (ECF No. 6.) Over
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thirty (30) days have passed and Petitioner has not responded to the order to show
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cause.
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I.
DISCUSSION
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Local Rule 110 provides that "[f]ailure of counsel or of a party to comply with
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these Rules or with any order of the Court may be grounds for imposition by the Court of
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any and all sanctions . . . within the inherent power of the Court." District courts have the
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inherent power to control their dockets and "in the exercise of that power, they may
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impose sanctions including, where appropriate . . . dismissal of a case." Thompson v.
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Housing Auth., 782 F.2d 829, 831 (9th Cir. 1986). A court may dismiss an action, with
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prejudice, based on a party's failure to prosecute an action, failure to obey a court order,
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or failure to comply with local rules. See, e.g., Ghazali v. Moran, 46 F.3d 52, 53-54 (9th
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Cir. 1995) (dismissal for noncompliance with local rule); Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d
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1258, 1260-61 (9th Cir. 1992) (dismissal for failure to comply with an order requiring
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amendment of complaint); Carey v. King, 856 F.2d 1439, 1440-41 (9th Cir. 1988)
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(dismissal for failure to comply with local rule requiring pro se plaintiffs to keep court
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apprised of address); Malone v. U.S. Postal Service, 833 F.2d 128, 130 (9th Cir. 1987)
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(dismissal for failure to comply with court order); Henderson v. Duncan, 779 F.2d 1421,
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1424 (9th Cir. 1986) (dismissal for lack of prosecution and failure to comply with local
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rules). In determining whether to dismiss an action for lack of prosecution, failure to obey
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a court order, or failure to comply with local rules, the court must consider several
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factors: (1) the public's interest in expeditious resolution of litigation; (2) the court's need
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to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the defendants; (4) the public policy
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favoring disposition of cases on their merits; and (5) the availability of less drastic
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alternatives. Ghazali, 46 F.3d at 53; Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1260-61; Malone, 833 F.2d at
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130; Thompson, 782 F.2d at 831; Henderson, 779 F.2d at 1423-24.
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In the instant case, the Court finds that the public's interest in expeditiously
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resolving this litigation and the Court's interest in managing the docket weigh in favor of
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dismissal because it does not appear that Plaintiff has made a good faith effort to
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prosecute this matter. Petitioner has not filed an amended petition further describing her
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claims as ordered by the Court.
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The third factor, risk of prejudice to defendants, also weighs in favor of dismissal
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because a presumption of injury arises from any unreasonable delay in prosecuting an
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action. Anderson v. Air West, 542 F.2d 522, 524 (9th Cir. 1976). The fourth factor, public
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policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits, is greatly outweighed by the factors in
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favor of dismissal. Finally, a court's warning to a party that his failure to obey the court's
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order will result in dismissal satisfies the "consideration of alternatives" requirement.
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Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262; Malone, 833 F.2d at 132-33; Henderson, 779 F.2d at 1424.
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Here, the Court's order was clear that dismissal would result from non-compliance with
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the order. (See ECF No. 6 [“Failure to respond by this deadline will result in dismissal of
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this action."].)
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II.
RECOMMENDATION
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Accordingly, the Court HEREBY RECOMMENDS that this action be DISMISSED
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for Plaintiff's failure to comply with a court order. Further, the Court ORDERS the Clerk
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of Court to assign a District Court Judge to the present matter.
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This Findings and Recommendation is submitted to the assigned United States
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District Court Judge, pursuant to the provisions of Title 28 of the United States Code
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section 636 (b)(1)(B). Within thirty (30) days after being served with a copy, any party
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may file written objections with the court and serve a copy on all parties. Such a
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document should be captioned "Objections to Magistrate Judge's Findings and
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Recommendation." The Court will then review the Magistrate Judge's ruling pursuant to
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Title 28 of the United States Code section 636(b)(1)(C). The parties are advised that
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failure to file objections within the specified time may waive the right to appeal the
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District Court's order. Wilkerson v. Wheeler, 772 F.3d 834, 839 (9th Cir. 2014).
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated:
April 25, 2016
/s/
Michael J. Seng
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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