Cox v. Commissioner Department of Human Services
Samuel Cox v. Commissioner Department of Human Services; MSOP Administration(S); BEU Staff; BEU Hearing Officers; Amanda Sjoberg; Justin L. Joslin; Bryce Brekke; Security Counselor; Phil Olson; and Charles Fai
- Laura Provinzino
- 0:26-cv-01984
- U.S. District Court · District of Minnesota
- 2
In Samuel Cox v. Commissioner Department of Human Services, Judge Provinzino dismissed the complaint without prejudice, denied counsel, and denied the fee waiver as moot.
Samuel Cox’s complaint was dismissed without prejudice. His request for appointed counsel was denied, and his application to proceed without prepaying fees or costs was denied as moot. The defendants were not required to litigate the complaint in this order.
What happened
In Samuel Cox v. Commissioner Department of Human Services, Samuel Cox filed a complaint against the listed defendants. The opinion does not describe the claims in the complaint.
A magistrate judge recommended denying Cox’s request for a lawyer and dismissing the case under a statute requiring screening of certain cases filed without paying court fees. No party objected to that recommendation, so the court reviewed it for obvious error.
Judge Laura M. Provinzino adopted the recommendation in full. She denied Cox’s motion for appointment of counsel, dismissed the complaint without prejudice, and denied as moot Cox’s application to proceed without paying fees or costs.
The detailed version
- Cox v. Commissioner Department of Human Services · No. 0:26-cv-01984
- Laura M. Provinzino
- May 1, 2026
Background
Samuel Cox filed a complaint against the defendants listed in the caption. The opinion does not describe the claims or the factual allegations in the complaint.
Report and Recommendation
United States Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard issued an April 9, 2026 Report and Recommendation. It recommended denying Cox’s motion for appointment of counsel and dismissing the action without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), which requires the court to screen certain cases filed by people seeking to proceed without paying filing fees. No party objected to the recommendation. The district court therefore reviewed it for clear error, meaning an obvious mistake.
Ruling
Judge Laura M. Provinzino found no clear error and adopted the Report and Recommendation in full. The court denied Cox’s motion for appointment of counsel, dismissed the complaint without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), and denied as moot Cox’s application to proceed without prepaying fees or costs. The opinion does not state any additional basis for the dismissal.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.