Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-4_04-cv-01240/USCOURTS-ared-4_04-cv-01240-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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1

Plaintiff has not consented to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge and has

demanded a jury trial before United States District Judge James M. Moody. 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

LITTLE ROCK DIVISION

EDWARD LOVELESS

ADC #130502 PLAINTIFF

V. 4:04CV01240 JMM/JTR

JAMES LEAN, Resource Officer,

Pope County Detention Center, et al. DEFENDANTS

ORDER

Pending before the Court is Defendants’ Motion to Compel and to Extend the Dispositive

Motion Deadline. See docket entry #35.1

On October 21, 2005, the Court entered an Order giving Plaintiff a thirty-day extension to

prepare his Answers to Defendants’ Interrogatories and allowing the parties sixty days to file any

dispositive motions. See docket entry #24. On November 21, 2005, the Court entered an Order that

denied Plaintiff’s request for a second extension to prepare his Answers to Defendant’s

Interrogatories and refused to grant his motion for appointment of counsel. See docket entry #31.

In that Order, the Court explained that the attorney/client privilege was Plaintiff’s only basis for

objecting to any of Defendants’ interrogatories and that he must answer each of those interrogatories

to the best of his personal knowledge. Id.

On December 16, 2005, Defendants filed the pending Motion in which they state that,

because they still have not received Plaintiff’s Answers to their Interrogatories, it is impossible for

them to meet the December 21, 2005 deadline for filing their dispositive motions. See docket entry

Case 4:04-cv-01240-JMM Document 36 Filed 12/19/05 Page 1 of 3
2

 In view of Defendants’ Motion to Compel, Plaintiff should consider filing a Motion

requesting Judge Moody to issue an expedited ruling on Plaintiff’s December 8, 2005 Appeal. 

3

 Generally, answers to interrogatories, and other discovery matters are to be sent directly

to the opposing counsel, and not filed with the Court. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(d) (providing that “the

following discovery requests and responses must not be filed until they are used in the proceeding

or the court orders filing: (i) depositions, (ii) interrogatories, (iii) requests for documents or to permit

entry upon the land, and (iv) requests for admissions”) (emphasis added). However, in this case,

Plaintiff is specifically directed to file his Answers to Defendants Interrogatories with the Clerk so

that the Court can ensure that he has timely complied with this Order. 

4

 Local Rule 5.5(c)(2) provides that: “It is the duty of any party not represented by counsel

to promptly notify the Clerk and the other parties to the proceedings of any change in his or her

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#35. Accordingly, they move to compel Plaintiff to provide them with his Answers to their

Interrogatories and to extend the dispositive motion deadline. 

Importantly, on December 8, 2005, Plaintiff appealed this Court’s November 21, 2005 Order

denying him a second request for extension of time to answer Defendants’ Interrogatories and

refusing to grant his request for appointment of counsel. See docket entry #33. That appeal is now

pending before United States District Judge James M. Moody.2

The Court concludes that, absent his obtaining relief from Judge Moody, Plaintiff must file

and serve full and complete answers to each of Defendants’ interrogatories on or before January 20,

2006. Additionally, the Court concludes that the deadline for filing dispositive motions should be

extended until February 21, 2006. 

Plaintiff has until and including January 20, 2006, to obtain a ruling from Judge Moody on

his Appeal and, if necessary, to file his Answers to Defendants’ Interrogatories. If Plaintiff does not

obtain a ruling from Judge Moody, or Judge moody denies his appeal, Plaintiff must file his

Answers to Defendant’s Interrogatories on or before January 20, 2006.3

 If Plaintiff fails to do

so, this case will be dismissed, without prejudice, pursuant to Local Rule 5.5(c)(2).4

Case 4:04-cv-01240-JMM Document 36 Filed 12/19/05 Page 2 of 3
address, to monitor the progress of the case, and to prosecute or defend the action diligently. A party

appearing for himself/herself shall sign his/her pleadings and state his/her address, zip code, and

telephone number. If any communication from the Court to a pro se plaintiff is not responded to

within thirty (30) days, the case may be dismissed without prejudice. Any party proceeding pro se

shall be expected to be familiar with and follow the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” (Emphasis

added.) 

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IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT:

1. Defendants’ Motion to Compel and to Extend the Dispositive Motion Deadline

(docket entry #35) is GRANTED.

2. Plaintiff shall file his Answers to Defendants’ Interrogatories on or before

January 20, 2006.

3. The deadline for filing dispositive motions is extended until February 21, 2006. 

Dated this 19th day of December, 2005.

____________________________________

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 4:04-cv-01240-JMM Document 36 Filed 12/19/05 Page 3 of 3