Barajas et al v. County of Yolo

Filing 10

FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS signed by Magistrate Judge Allison Claire on 11/24/14 RECOMMENDING that this action be dismissed with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) and 4(m) and Local Rules 110 and 183(a). Matter referred to Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr.. Within 14 days after being served with these findings and recommendations, any party may file written objections with the court and serve a copy on all parties. (Kastilahn, A)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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ELIZABETH BARAJAS, et al.,

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No. 2:14-cv-01587-GEB-AC

Plaintiffs,
v.

FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS

COUNTY OF YOLO,
Defendant.

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On July 7, 2014, plaintiffs filed this action and moved for permission to proceed in forma

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pauperis. ECF Nos. , 21. On July 31, 2014, the court denied plaintiffs’ request and ordered their

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complaint stricken because both documents were signed exclusively by a non-attorney “agent”

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claiming to represent them. ECF No. 3. On September 8, 2014, plaintiff Elizabeth Barajas filed a

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motion seeking an extension of time to file an amended complaint. ECF No. 5. That request not

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being signed by any other plaintiff, the court granted plaintiff Elizabeth Barajas’ request as to her

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only, on September 15, 2014. ECF No. 6. On October 3, 2014, all four plaintiffs filed a second

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motion for extension of time to secure counsel. ECF No. 7. The court granted plaintiffs’ request

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on October 9, 2014, and directed them to file an amended complaint by October 31, 2014. ECF

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No. 8. On November 7, 2014, the court ordered plaintiff to show cause within fourteen (14) days

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why their claims should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute. ECF No. 9. Plaintiffs have yet

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to respond to the court’s order.
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Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), a district court may dismiss an action

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for failure to prosecute, failure to comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, failure to

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comply with the court’s local rules, or failure to comply with the court’s orders. See, e.g.,

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Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 44 (1991) (recognizing that a court “may act sua sponte

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to dismiss a suit for failure to prosecute”); Hells Canyon Preservation Council v. U.S. Forest

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Serv., 403 F.3d 683, 689 (9th Cir. 2005) (recognizing that courts may dismiss an action pursuant

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to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) sua sponte for a plaintiff’s failure to prosecute or comply

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with the rules of civil procedure or the court’s orders); Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1260

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(9th Cir. 1992) (“Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), the district court may dismiss

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an action for failure to comply with any order of the court.”); Pagtalunan v. Galaza, 291 F.3d 639,

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642-43 (9th Cir. 2002) (affirming district court’s dismissal of case for failure to prosecute when

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habeas petitioner failed to file a first amended petition). This court’s Local Rules are in accord.

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See E.D. Local Rule 110 (“Failure of counsel or of a party to comply with these Rules or with any

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order of the Court may be grounds for imposition by the Court of any and all sanctions authorized

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by statute or Rule or within the inherent power of the Court.”); E.D. Local Rule 183(a) (providing

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that a pro se party’s failure to comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the court's Local

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Rules, and other applicable law may support, among other things, dismissal of that party’s

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action).

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A court must weigh five factors in determining whether to dismiss a case for failure to

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prosecute, failure to comply with a court order, or failure to comply with a district court’s local

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rules. See, e.g., Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1260. Specifically, the court must consider:

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(1) the public’s interest in expeditious resolution of litigation; (2)
the court’s need to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to
the defendants; (4) the public policy favoring disposition of cases
on their merits; and (5) the availability of less drastic alternatives.

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Id. at 1260-61; accord Pagtalunan, 291 F.3d at 642-43; Ghazali v. Moran, 46 F.3d 52, 53 (9th Cir.

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1995), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 838 (1995). The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has stated that

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“[t]hese factors are not a series of conditions precedent before the judge can do anything, but a

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way for a district judge to think about what to do.” In re Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Prods.
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Liab. Litig., 460 F.3d 1217, 1226 (9th Cir. 2006).

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Although involuntary dismissal can be a harsh remedy, on balance the five relevant

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factors weigh in favor of dismissal of this action. The first two factors strongly support dismissal.

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Plaintiffs’ failure to serve defendant and to respond to this court’s order strongly suggests that

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plaintiffs have abandoned this action or are not interested in seriously prosecuting it. See, e.g.,

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Yourish v. Cal. Amplifier, 191 F.3d 983, 990 (9th Cir. 1999) (“The public’s interest in

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expeditious resolution of litigation always favors dismissal.”). Any further time spent by the

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court on this case, which plaintiffs have demonstrated a lack of any serious intention to pursue,

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will consume scarce judicial resources and take away from other active cases. See Ferdik, 963

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F.2d at 1261 (recognizing that district courts have inherent power to manage their dockets without

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being subject to noncompliant litigants).

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In addition, the third factor, which considers prejudice to a defendant, should be given

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some weight. See Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262. Although the court’s docket does not reflect that a

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complaint has been served upon defendant, the defendant remains named in a lawsuit. It is

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difficult to quantify the prejudice suffered by defendant here; however, it is enough that defendant

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has been named in a lawsuit that plaintiffs have effectively abandoned. At a minimum, defendant

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has been prevented from attempting to resolve this case on the merits by plaintiffs’ unreasonable

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delay in prosecuting this action. Unreasonable delay is presumed to be prejudicial. See, e.g., In

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re Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Prods. Liab. Litig., 460 F.3d at 1227.

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The fifth factor, which considers the availability of less drastic measures, also supports

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dismissal of this action. The court has actually pursued remedies that are less drastic than a

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recommendation of dismissal, including providing plaintiffs with additional time to file an

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amended complaint. See Malone v. U.S. Postal Serv., 833 F.2d 128, 132 (9th Cir. 1987)

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(“[E]xplicit discussion of alternatives is unnecessary if the district court actually tries alternatives

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before employing the ultimate sanction of dismissal.”), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 819 (1988). Having

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failed to receive a response from plaintiffs, the court finds no suitable alternative to a

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recommendation for dismissal of this action.

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The court also recognizes the importance of giving due weight to the fourth factor, which
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addresses the public policy favoring disposition of cases on the merits. However, for the reasons

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set forth above, factors one, two, three, and five strongly support a recommendation of dismissal

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of this action, and factor four does not materially counsel otherwise. Dismissal is proper “where

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at least four factors support dismissal or where at least three factors ‘strongly’ support dismissal.”

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Hernandez v. City of El Monte, 138 F.3d 393, 399 (9th Cir. 1998) (citations and quotation marks

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omitted). Under the circumstances of this case, the other relevant factors outweigh the general

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public policy favoring disposition of actions on their merits. See Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1263.

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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that this action be dismissed with

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prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) and 4(m) and Local Rules 110 and
183(a).
These findings and recommendations are submitted to the United States District Judge

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assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Within fourteen days

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after being served with these findings and recommendations, any party may file written

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objections with the court and serve a copy on all parties. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); see also E.D.

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Local Rule 304(b). Such a document should be captioned “Objections to Magistrate Judge's

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Findings and Recommendations.” Any response to the objections shall be filed with the court

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and served on all parties within fourteen days after service of the objections. E.D. Local Rule

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304(d). Failure to file objections within the specified time may waive the right to appeal the

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District Court’s order. Turner v. Duncan, 158 F.3d 449, 455 (9th Cir. 1998); Martinez v. Ylst,

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951 F.2d 1153, 1156-57 (9th Cir. 1991).

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DATED: November 24, 2014

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