Lord v. New York City
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-01193
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Lord v. New York City, Judge Swain dismissed Don Lord’s action without prejudice after he failed to update his address as ordered.
Don Lord’s action against the City of New York and other defendants was dismissed without prejudice; the court also denied fee-free appeal status.
What happened
In Lord v. New York City, Don Lord sued the City of New York and other defendants. The opinion does not describe the claims’ underlying facts.
The court had ordered Lord to keep his address and electronic contact information current. After he failed to update his address, the court gave him 30 days to explain why the action should not be dismissed, but he did not respond or otherwise contact the court.
Judge Swain dismissed the action under Rule 41(b) for failing to follow the court’s standing order. The dismissal was without prejudice to Lord filing a new civil action. The court also denied him permission to appeal without paying fees and directed the clerk to enter judgment.
The detailed version
- Lord v. New York City · No. 1:25-cv-01193
- Laura Swain
- May 9, 2025
Background
Don Lord brought this action against the City of New York and other defendants. The opinion does not state the substance of his claims.
A March 18, 2024 standing order required self-represented litigants to tell the court about changes to their address or electronic contact information. On April 4, 2025, the court ordered Lord to show cause within 30 days why the action should not be dismissed without prejudice because he had not updated his address as required.
Court’s Ruling
Lord did not update his address and did not otherwise communicate with the court. The court therefore dismissed the action under Rule 41(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for failing to comply with the standing order. The dismissal was without prejudice to Lord’s filing a new civil action.
The court also certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying filing fees. The court directed the clerk to enter judgment. Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.