Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-04003/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-04003-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RUSSELL A. MERINAR, 

Plaintiff,

 v.

N. GRANNIS, et al.,

Defendants. 

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No. C 04-4003 JSW (PR)

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY

CASE SHOULD NOT BE

DISMISSED FOR FAILURE TO

PROSECUTE

Plaintiff Russell A. Merinar, a formerly incarcerated state prisoner, filed this pro

se civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 regarding the conditions of his confinement

at the Correctional Training Facility. After Plaintiff filed a motion seeking a settlement

meeting regarding this case (docket no. 61), the Court referred the case to Magistrate

Judge Vadas for mediation proceedings through the Pro Se Prisoner Early Settlement

Program. However, after a settlement conference was scheduled between Plaintiff and

Defendants' counsel with Magistrate Judge Vadas on August 16, 2007, Plaintiff failed to

appear or to contact the Court regarding his non-appearance. According to the report

from Magistrate Judge Vadas, Plaintiff also failed to appear for his deposition with

Defendants' counsel scheduled for the same day. 

A district court may sua sponte dismiss an action for failure to prosecute or to

comply with a court order pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b). See Link v.

Wabash R.R., 370 U.S. 626, 633 (1962); McKeever v. Block, 932 F.2d 795, 797 (9th Cir.

1991). But such a dismissal should be only when the failure to comply is unreasonable. 

See id.; see, e.g., Edwards v. Marin Park, Inc., 356 F.3d 1058, 1065 (9th Cir. 2004)

(dismissal under Rule 41(b) proper when plaintiff, given the opportunity to amend or be

dismissed, did nothing; but dismissal improper when plaintiff made affirmative choice

Case 3:04-cv-04003-JSW Document 71 Filed 09/05/07 Page 1 of 3
 

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not to amend and clearly communicated that choice to court because there has been no

disobedience to a court’s order and plaintiff has right to stand on the pleading). A court

should afford the litigant prior notice of its intention to dismiss. See Malone v. United States

Postal Serv., 833 F.2d 128, 133 (9th Cir. 1987). 

As such, the Court now orders Plaintiff to show cause within twenty (20) days of

the date of this order why the case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute based

on his failure to attend the Court ordered settlement proceeding. Plaintiff must also inform

the Court of his continued intent to prosecute this action. Should Plaintiff fail to timely file a

response to the Court's order, the complaint will be dismissed without prejudice for failure to

prosecute. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 5, 2007

 

JEFFREY S. WHITE

United States District Judge

Case 3:04-cv-04003-JSW Document 71 Filed 09/05/07 Page 2 of 3
 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MERINAR,

Plaintiff,

 v.

GRANNIS et al,

Defendant. /

Case Number: CV04-04003 JSW 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am an employee in the Office of the Clerk, U.S. District

Court, Northern District of California.

That on September 5, 2007, I SERVED a true and correct copy(ies) of the attached, by placing

said copy(ies) in a postage paid envelope addressed to the person(s) hereinafter listed, by

depositing said envelope in the U.S. Mail, or by placing said copy(ies) into an inter-office

delivery receptacle located in the Clerk's office.

Jordan S. Stanzler

Stanzler Funderburk & Castellon LLP

180 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Russell Arlen Merinar

1507 W. Pico Blvd. #40

Los Angeles, CA 90015

Dated: September 5, 2007

Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: Jennifer Ottolini, Deputy Clerk

Case 3:04-cv-04003-JSW Document 71 Filed 09/05/07 Page 3 of 3