Price v. Director - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division et al
Filing
84
MEMORANDUM OPINION. By failing to provide the court with a correct address, plaintiff has prevented the court from communicating with him and moving this case towards resolution. He has failed to diligently prosecute this case and this matter should be dismissed. Signed by District Judge Thad Heartfield on 2/6/19. (mrp, )
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
BEAUMONT DIVISION
CHAVEZ D. PRICE
§
VS.
§
BRAD LIVINGSTON
§
CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:13cv159
MEMORANDUM OPINION
Plaintiff Chavez D. Price, formerly an inmate confined within
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions
Division, proceeding pro se, filed the above-styled civil rights
lawsuit.
Discussion
A member of the court’s staff has determined that plaintiff
has been released from prison. Plaintiff has not provided the court
with a new address since his release.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) authorizes the district
court to dismiss an action for want of prosecution sua sponte
whenever
necessary
to
disposition of cases.
achieve
the
orderly
835
F.2d
expeditious
Anthony v. Marion County General Hospital,
617 F.2d 1164, 1167 (5th Cir. 1980).
Lynaugh,
and
1126
(5th
Cir.
See also McCullough v.
1988).
The
orderly
and
expeditious disposition of cases requires that if a litigant's
address changes, he has a duty to inform the court of the change.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has said
It is neither feasible nor legally required that the clerks
of the district courts undertake independently to maintain
current addresses on all parties to pending actions. It is
incumbent upon litigants to inform the court of address
changes, for it is manifest that communications between the
clerk and the parties or their counsel will be conducted
principally by mail. In addition to keeping the clerk informed of any change of address, parties are obliged to make
timely status inquiries. Address changes normally would be
reflected by those inquiries if made in writing.
Shannon v. State of Louisiana, 1988 WL 54768, No. 87-3951 (E.D. La.
May 23, 1988) (quoting Perkins v. King, No. 84-3310 (5th Cir. May
19, 1985)); see also Carey v. King, 856 F.2d 1439 (9th Cir. 1988)
(per curiam) (pro se plaintiff's case dismissed for failure to
prosecute when he failed to keep the court apprised of his current
address).
The exercise of the power to dismiss for failure to
prosecute is committed to the sound discretion of the court and
appellate
review
is
discretion was abused.
confined
solely
in
whether
the
court's
Green v. Forney Engineering Co., 589 F.2d
243 (5th Cir. 1979); Lopez v. Aransas County Independent School
District, 570 F.2d 541 (5th Cir. 1978).
By failing to provide the court with a correct address,
plaintiff has prevented the court from communicating with him and
moving this case towards resolution.
diligently prosecute this case.
He has therefore failed to
This matter should therefore be
dismissed.
Conclusion
For the reasons set forth above, this matter will be dismissed
without prejudice for want of prosecution.
be
entered
in
accordance
with
this
A final judgment shall
memorandum
opinion.
If
plaintiff wishes to have this case reinstated on the court’s active
docket, he may do so by providing a current address within 60 days
of the date set forth below.
SIGNED this the 6 day of February, 2019.
____________________________
Thad Heartfield
United States District Judge
3
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