Ross v. Gossett et al

Filing 516

ORDER GRANTING Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 501 ). The Defendants listed in the Order are DISMISSED without prejudice. Signed by Judge Staci M. Yandle on 8/21/2019. (sgp)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

DEMETRIUS ROSS, on behalf of himself
and all others similarly situated, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
GREG GOSSETT, et al,
Defendants.

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Case No. 15-CV-309-SMY-MAB

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
YANDLE, District Judge:
Pending before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion to Dismiss Certain Defendants (Doc. 501).
Plaintiffs seek to dismiss without prejudice claims against Defendants who may not have been
present during the relevant time period set forth in the Second Amended Complaint (Doc. 197).
Defendants have not responded to the motion.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41 allows for voluntary dismissals under certain
circumstances, but the rule is circumscribed to dismissals of “actions,” not “parties” or “claims,”
meaning that the rule should not be used to cleave away one claim or one party from a larger case.
(Doc. 34); See Taylor v. Brown, 787 F.3d 851, 857-58 (7th Cir. 2015). While the Court
acknowledges the plain reading of the rule, given the number of defendants in this case, it finds
that dismissing the defendants identified in the Motion is appropriate in this case. See Madsen v.
Park City, 6 F. Supp. 2d 938, 943 (N.D. Ill. 1998) (“In a multiple defendant case, it is permissible
to voluntarily dismiss just some of the defendants.”). Accordingly, the Motion is GRANTED and
The following Defendants are DISMISSED without prejudice:

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Richard Harrington
Rodney Brady
Brendan Ankrom
Stephanie Beasley
Robert Blackwell
Mark Bower
Kyle Brooks
Christopher Cales
Aaron Campbell
James Cissell
Josh Curry
Samuel Dillon
Justin Dircks
Bryan Easton
M. Fluder
Justin Hammers
Kevin Hirch
Shayne Howell
Michael Jones
Tyler Jones
John Koch
Alexander Lockhart

Michael Samuel
George Welborn
Tony Payne, Jr.
Michael Monje
Tracy Lee
John Carter
Louis Browder
Ventures Jackson
Denise Minor
Daniel Sullivan
Jack Townely
Jeffrey Julius
Richard Lynch
Michael Durbin
Charles Hayden
James Studer
Eric Welsh
Randall Bayler
Leif McCarthy
Chad Ray
Earl Dixon
Alan Dallas
Martin Buchner

Jason Migneron
Jason Morris
Wendy Parks
Gary Perkins
Brandon Richey
Minh Scott
Eric Shelton
Mitch Simmons
Sam Taylor
Andrew Volk
Rene Waters
James Best
Kent Brookman
John Tourville
Kevin Reichert
Beau Purtle
Patrick Trokey
Raymond Allen
James Powell
John Mich
Roger Waller
John Hoffman
Raymond Groves

These defendants are dismissed without prejudice from this matter only and not as to any of the
twenty consolidated cases.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: August 21, 2019

STACI M. YANDLE
United States District Judge

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