Stallworth v. Medical Staff & Doctors of Contra Costa County Jail
- Yvonne Rogers
- 4:22-cv-04754
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Stallworth v. Medical Staff, Judge Rogers dismissed the complaint after Stallworth failed to amend it by the deadline.
Joseph Stallworth's action against the Medical Staff & Doctors of Contra Costa County Jail was dismissed without prejudice after he failed to file an amended complaint.
What happened
In Stallworth v. Medical Staff & Doctors of Contra Costa County Jail, the court had given Joseph Stallworth 28 days to file an amended complaint stating a valid constitutional claim. The court warned that missing the deadline could lead to dismissal for failure to prosecute.
The deadline passed, and Stallworth did not file an amended complaint. The court dismissed the complaint without prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), terminated pending motions, and closed the case.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued the order on February 17, 2023. The order states that Stallworth may file a new civil-rights action if he is prepared to pursue his claims.
The detailed version
- Stallworth v. Medical Staff & Doctors of Contra Costa County Jail · No. 4:22-cv-04754
- Yvonne Rogers
- Feb. 17, 2023
Background
On January 11, 2023, the court dismissed the action with leave to amend. It gave Joseph Stallworth 28 days to file an amended complaint alleging facts sufficient to state a cognizable constitutional claim. The court warned that failing to file on time would result in dismissal for failure to prosecute, meaning failure to move the case forward.
The deadline passed, and Stallworth did not file an amended complaint.
Ruling
The court found that dismissal was warranted under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), which permits dismissal when a plaintiff fails to prosecute or comply with court orders. In reaching that conclusion, the court considered the factors identified in Ferdik v. Bonzelet and cited Yourish v. California Amplifier, which approved dismissal after a plaintiff failed to amend following an order allowing amendment.
The court ordered that the complaint be dismissed without prejudice. It also directed the Clerk of Court to terminate all pending motions and close the file. A footnote states that, if Stallworth is prepared to pursue his claims, he may file a new civil-rights action, subject to the limitations information described in the order.
Effect
This order ended the action because Stallworth did not file the required amended complaint; it did not decide the underlying constitutional claims. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued the order on February 17, 2023.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.