Holloway v. State of Mississippi

Filing 9

ORDER denying as moot 7 Motion to Dismiss; granting 8 Motion to Dismiss. case DISMISSED without prejudice. Signed by District Judge Debra M. Brown on 2/21/17. (cr)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI
ABERDEEN DIVISION
JASON HOLLOWAY

PETITIONER

V.

NO. 1:16-CV-55-DMB-DAS

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

RESPONDENT
ORDER DISMISSING CASE

On April 4, 2016, Jason Holloway, proceeding pro se, filed a petition for writ of habeas
corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Doc. #1. On July 1, 2016, the State of Mississippi filed a motion to
dismiss Holloway’s petition for failure to exhaust, state a claim, or meet the statute of limitations.
Doc. #7. On July 18, 2016, Holloway filed a “Motion to Withdraw and Reply to Motion to
Dismiss,” seeking dismissal of his petition to present additional claims in state court. Doc. #8.
Though receiving notice of Holloway’s motion, the State has filed no response or opposition, and the
time within which it could have done so has long passed.
“Motions for voluntary dismissal generally ‘should be freely granted unless the non-moving
party will suffer some plain legal prejudice other than the mere prospect of a second lawsuit.’” Test
Masters Educ. Servs., Inc. v. Robin Singh Educ. Servs., Inc., 799 F.3d 437, 448 (5th Cir. 2015)
(quoting Elbaor v. Tripath Imaging, Inc., 279 F.3d 314, 317 (5th Cir. 2002)). Because the State has
not opposed Holloway’s motion and thus failed to identify any legal prejudice it will suffer if
Holloway’s motion is granted, the Court finds that granting Holloway’s motion will pose no plain
legal prejudice to the State.1
Accordingly, Holloway’s motion [8] is GRANTED; the State of Mississippi’s motion to
dismiss [7] is DENIED as moot; and this case is DISMISSED without prejudice.
1

See Payne v. Rader, No. CIV.A. 11-2767, 2012 WL 214554, at *1 (E.D. La. Jan. 24, 2012) (applying Elbaor to motion
for voluntary dismissal of habeas petition where respondent only filed response to petition).

SO ORDERED, this 21st day of February, 2017.
/s/ Debra M. Brown
.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

2