Thomas v. United Fire Officers Association
- Garnett
- 1:25-cv-06002
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Thomas v. United Fire Officers Association, Judge Garnett ordered summonses issued and service within 90 days, warning of possible dismissal for nonservice.
Shawn L. Thomas must serve the United Fire Officers Association and the six named individual defendants within 90 days after summonses are issued, or request more time and file proof of service; otherwise, the court may dismiss claims against unserved defendants.
What happened
In Shawn L. Thomas v. United Fire Officers Association, Thomas paid the filing fee and is representing himself. The opinion does not describe the claims or the underlying dispute.
The court directed the Clerk to issue summonses for United Fire Officers Association, James Brosi, Jason Rigoli, James McCarthy, Steven Rabinowitz, Carlos Velez, and Mark Guerra. Thomas must serve each defendant within 90 days after the summonses are issued and file proof of service or request more time.
If Thomas does neither, the court may dismiss claims against any defendant who was not served for failure to prosecute. Judge Margaret M. Garnett also directed Thomas to the court’s guide for people representing themselves in cases where the filing fee was paid.
The detailed version
- Thomas v. United Fire Officers Association · No. 1:25-cv-06002
- Garnett
- July 28, 2025
Background
Shawn L. Thomas filed this action after paying the filing fee and is proceeding without a lawyer. The opinion does not state what claims Thomas brings or describe the facts underlying the case.
Court’s Action
The Clerk of Court was directed to issue summonses for all defendants: United Fire Officers Association, James Brosi, Jason Rigoli, James McCarthy, Steven Rabinowitz, Carlos Velez, and Mark Guerra.
Thomas was directed to serve the summons and complaint on each defendant within 90 days after the summonses are issued. Thomas must either file proof that the defendants were served or request an extension of time within that period. The court explained that, if Thomas does neither, it may dismiss the claims against any defendant who was not served under Rules 4 and 41 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for failure to prosecute, meaning failure to move the case forward.
The court also directed Thomas to the Southern District of New York’s service guide for people representing themselves in cases where the filing fee has been paid. The order did not decide the merits of Thomas’s claims.
Disposition
The court ordered summonses issued and set the service requirement described above. It did not dismiss any claims in this order. Judge Margaret M. Garnett signed the order.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.