Ista v. Washington County

Background

Jason Carl Ista brought the case against Washington County, Washington County’s Sheriff’s Department, Dan Starry, Commander Heinen, and corrections officers. The opinion identifies the plaintiff as proceeding without a lawyer. United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright issued a Report and Recommendation on March 11, 2024, recommending that the complaint be dismissed. The opinion does not state the recommendation’s underlying reasons.

Review of the Recommendation

The deadline for objections had passed. Ista filed two letters after the Report and Recommendation issued. The district court reviewed both letters and determined that neither addressed the recommendation or the reasons given for dismissing the complaint. Because no specific objection identified a legal or factual error, the court reviewed the recommendation for clear error rather than conducting a full new review. The court concluded that the recommendation was neither clearly erroneous nor contrary to law.

Ruling

Judge Jerry W. Blackwell accepted the Report and Recommendation in its entirety. The court overruled any objections raised in Ista’s letters, dismissed the complaint without prejudice, and denied Ista’s application to proceed in district court without prepaying fees or costs as moot. The court directed that judgment be entered.

Disposition

The Report and Recommendation was accepted; the complaint was dismissed without prejudice; and the application to proceed without prepaying fees or costs was denied as moot.