Navarro v. Donnelly ( 2021 )

1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 DISTRICT OF NEVADA 3 4 JESUS NAVARRO, Case No. 3:20-cv-00632-JAD-CLB 5 Plaintiff v. 6 Order Dismissing ROSSELLE DONNELLY, et. al., and Closing Case 7 Defendants 8 9 Plaintiff Jesus Navarro brings this civil-rights lawsuit to redress constitutional violations 10 that he claims he suffered while detained at Lovelock Correctional Center. On June 29, 2021, 11 this Court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint with leave to amend by July 30, 2021.1 The Court 12 warned the plaintiff that this case would be dismissed and closed if he failed to file an amended 13 complaint by that deadline.2 Plaintiff neither filed an amended complaint by that deadline nor 14 moved for an extension of time to do so. 15 District courts have the inherent power to control their dockets and “[i]n the exercise of 16 that power, they may impose sanctions including, where appropriate . . . dismissal” of a case.3 A 17 court may dismiss an action based on a party’s failure to prosecute an action, failure to obey a 18 court order, or failure to comply with local rules.4 In determining whether to dismiss an action 19 20 1 ECF No. 3 at 8. 2 Id. 21 3 Thompson v. Hous. Auth. of City of Los Angeles, 782 F.2d 829, 831 (9th Cir. 1986). 22 4 See Ghazali v. Moran, 46 F.3d 52, 53–54 (9th Cir. 1995) (dismissal for noncompliance with local rule); Ferdik v. Bonzelet, 963 F.2d 1258, 1260–61 (9th Cir. 1992) (dismissal for failure to 23 comply with an order requiring amendment of complaint); Carey v. King, 856 F.2d 1439, 1440– 41 (9th Cir. 1988) (dismissal for failure to comply with local rule requiring pro se plaintiffs to keep court apprised of address); Malone v. U.S. Postal Service, 833 F.2d 128, 130 (9th Cir. 1 on one of these grounds, the court must consider: (1) the public’s interest in expeditious 2 resolution of litigation; (2) the court’s need to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the 3 defendants; (4) the public policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits; and (5) the 4 availability of less drastic alternatives.5 5 The first two factors, the public’s interest in expeditiously resolving this litigation and the 6 court’s interest in managing its docket, weigh in favor of dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims. The 7 third factor, risk of prejudice to defendants, also weighs in favor of dismissal because a 8 presumption of injury arises from the occurrence of unreasonable delay in filing a pleading 9 ordered by the court or prosecuting an action.6 A court’s warning to a party that its failure to 10 obey the court’s order will result in dismissal satisfies the fifth factor’s “consideration of 11 alternatives” requirement,7 and that warning was given here.8 The fourth factor—the public 12 policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits—is greatly outweighed by the factors 13 favoring dismissal. 14 IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma 15 pauperis without having to prepay the full filing fee [ECF No. 1] is GRANTED. Plaintiff need 16 not pay an initial installment fee, prepay fees or costs or provide security for fees or costs, but he 17 is still required to pay the full $350 filing fee under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, as amended. This full 18 filing fee will remain due and owing even if this case is dismissed or otherwise unsuccessful. 19 20 1987) (dismissal for failure to comply with court order); Henderson v. Duncan, 779 F.2d 1421, 1424 (9th Cir. 1986) (dismissal for lack of prosecution and failure to comply with local rules). 21 5 Thompson, 782 F.2d at 831; Henderson, 779 F.2d at 1423–24; Malone, 833 F.2d at 130; Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1260–61; Ghazali, 46 F.3d at 53. 22 6 See Anderson v. Air West, 542 F.2d 522, 524 (9th Cir. 1976). 23 7 Ferdik, 963 F.2d at 1262; Malone, 833 F.2d at 132–33; Henderson, 779 F.2d at 1424. 8 ECF No. 3 at 8. order to ensure that the plaintiff pays the full filing fee, IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the 2|| Nevada Department of Corrections must pay to the Clerk of the United States District Court, 3|| District of Nevada, 20% of the preceding month’s deposits to the account of Jesus Navarro (#1166205) (in months that the account exceeds $10.00) until the full $350 filing fee has been paid for this action. The Clerk is directed to SEND a copy of this order (1) to the Finance 6|| Division of the Clerk’s Office and (2) to the attention of Chief of Inmate Services for the 7\| Nevada Department of Corrections, P.O. Box 7011, Carson City, NV 89702. 8 It is further ordered that THIS ACTION IS DISMISSED for failure to file an amended complaint by the court-ordered deadline, leaving no claims pending. The Clerk of Court is 10}| directed to ENTER JUDGMENT accordingly and CLOSE THIS CASE. No other 11||documents may be filed in this now-closed case. 12 Dated: August 22, 2021 U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23