Rasheed v. United States Government Agent

Background

On May 19, 2025, the court granted Tahee A. Rasheed permission to proceed without paying the filing fee. The court screened the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) and found it deficient. The court ordered Rasheed to file a first amended complaint by June 12, 2025, and warned that the case could be dismissed if the deficiencies were not corrected.

Rasheed did not respond by that deadline. The court then ordered Rasheed to explain why the case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute, meaning failure to move the case forward, and failure to follow court deadlines. Rasheed requested more time, and the court granted that request.

Further Filing and Second Order to Show Cause

Rasheed filed a first amended complaint on July 30, 2025. The court found that the pleading remained deficient and ordered Rasheed to file a second amended complaint by November 7, 2025. The court again warned that failing to correct the identified deficiencies could result in dismissal. Rasheed did not file the required amendment or otherwise respond.

Court’s Action

The court stated that it has authority to dismiss a case on its own to ensure the orderly and prompt handling of cases. It issued a second order to show cause, requiring Rasheed to file a declaration by December 1, 2025, explaining why the case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute and failure to comply with court deadlines.

The order states that failure to provide a written response by that date will be treated as an admission that Rasheed does not intend to prosecute the case and that the case will likely be dismissed. The order did not itself dismiss the case. Judge Thomas S. Hixson also referred Rasheed to the Federal Pro Bono Project and the district’s handbook for people litigating without a lawyer.