Morris v. Lewis et al
Filing
8
MEMORANDUM AND OPINION by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. on 12/19/2017: The Court will enter a separate Order dismissing the complaint for failure to prosecute. cc: Plaintiff (pro se), Defendants (JM)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY
OWENSBORO DIVISION
KENNETH DE’SHAWN MORRIS
v.
PLAINTIFF
CIVIL ACTION NO. 4:17CV-P64-JHM
CAPTAIN MIKE LEWIS et al.
DEFENDANTS
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Plaintiff Kenneth De’Shawn Morris filed a pro se complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 1983 (DN 1). Upon filing the instant action, he assumed the responsibility of keeping this
Court advised of his current address and to actively litigate his claims. See LR 5.2(e) (“All pro
se litigants must provide written notice of a change of residential address . . . to the Clerk and to
the opposing party or the opposing party’s counsel. Failure to notify the Clerk of an address
change may result in the dismissal of the litigant’s case or other appropriate sanctions.”).
On October 18, 2017, the Clerk of Court sent Plaintiff a notice on summons (DN 6). On
November 6, 2017, the copy of that notice sent to Plaintiff at the Hopkins County Detention
Center, his address of record, was returned to the Court by the United States Postal Service with
the envelope marked “Return to Sender, Not Deliverable As Addressed, Unable to Forward”
(DN 7). A handwritten notation on the envelope indicated “Not Here.” Plaintiff apparently is no
longer housed at his address of record, and he has not advised the Court of a change of address.
Therefore, neither notices from this Court nor filings by Defendants in this action can be served
on Plaintiff.
Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure authorizes the involuntary dismissal
of an action if a plaintiff fails to prosecute or to comply with an order of the court. See Jourdan
v. Jabe, 951 F.2d 108, 109 (6th Cir. 1991) (“Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b) recognizes the power of the
district court to enter a sua sponte order of dismissal.”). Although federal courts afford pro se
litigants some leniency on matters that require legal sophistication, such as formal pleading rules,
the same policy does not support leniency from court deadlines and other procedures readily
understood by laypersons, particularly where there is a pattern of delay or failure to pursue a
case. Id. at 110. “Further, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that courts have an
inherent power to manage their own affairs and may dismiss a case sua sponte for lack of
prosecution.” Lyons-Bey v. Pennell, 93 F. App’x 732, 733 (6th Cir. 2004) (citing Link v.
Wabash R.R. Co., 370 U.S. 626, 630-31 (1962)).
Because Plaintiff has failed to comply with this Court’s Local Rules by failing to provide
written notice of a change of address, the Court concludes that this case must be dismissed for
lack of prosecution. See, e.g., White v. City of Grand Rapids, 34 F. App’x 210, 211 (6th Cir.
2002) (“[Plaintiff’s] complaint was subject to dismissal for want of prosecution because he failed
to keep the district court apprised of his current address.”); Hananiah v. Shelby Cty. Gov’t,
No. 12-3074-JDT-TMP, 2015 WL 52089, at *3 (W.D. Tenn. Jan. 2, 2015) (“Without such basic
information as a plaintiff’s current address, courts have no recourse but to dismiss a complaint
for failure to prosecute.”).
The Court will enter a separate Order consistent with this Memorandum Opinion.
Date:
December 19, 2017
cc:
Plaintiff, pro se
Defendants
4414.005
2
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