UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

_________________________________ 

CALVIN R. PETERSEN, 

 Plaintiff - Appellant, 

v. 

METLIFE LONG TERM CARE 

INSURANCE; THE ENSIGN GROUP; 

STATE OF UTAH, 

 Defendants - Appellees. 

No. 20-4067 

(D.C. No. 1:19-CV-00129-HCN) 

(D. Utah) 

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ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

_________________________________ 

Before BRISCOE, BALDOCK, and CARSON, Circuit Judges. 

_________________________________ 

Plaintiff-Appellant Calvin R. Petersen, proceeding pro se, appeals the district 

court’s dismissal of his claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for failure to prosecute and 

effect service. Exercising jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we affirm the 

dismissal of Petersen’s claims. 

* After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined 

unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination of 

this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is therefore 

ordered submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not binding 

precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral 

estoppel. It may be cited, however, for its persuasive value consistent with 

Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th Cir. R. 32.1. 

FILED 

United States Court of Appeals 

Tenth Circuit 

August 26, 2020

Christopher M. Wolpert 

Clerk of Court
2 

I 

 On November 13, 2019, Petersen filed a § 1983 complaint against Defendants 

MetLife Long Term Care Insurance, The Ensign Group, and the State of Utah. 

Petersen alleged that the defendants were violating the Fourteenth Amendment and 

the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by institutionalizing the disabled without 

establishing medical need and by refusing to provide benefits for home care or less 

restrictive alternatives to institutionalization. 

 After filing his complaint, Petersen filed four motions to appoint counsel and 

two motions for service of process. The magistrate judge denied Petersen’s motions 

for appointment of counsel and his motions for service of process.1

 But in light of 

Petersen’s disability and his status as a pro se litigant, the magistrate judge extended 

service requirements beyond the ninety-day time period, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m), 

giving Petersen until April 15, 2020 to effect service. On March 25, 2020, the 

magistrate judge issued an order advising Petersen that a failure to effect service by 

that date would result in a recommendation of dismissal to the district court. 

Petersen, however, failed to effect service by the April 15, 2020 deadline, and instead 

filed another motion to appoint counsel and another motion for service of process, 

both of which were identical to his previously filed motions. Accordingly, the 

magistrate judge recommended the action be dismissed without prejudice for failure 

to prosecute and effect service on the defendants. 

1

 In denying Petersen’s motions, the magistrate judge identified free or lowcost organizations for Petersen to contact to obtain legal representation. 
3 

 Petersen timely filed objections to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. 

The district court overruled Petersen’s objections, adopted the magistrate judge’s 

recommendation, and dismissed the action without prejudice. Petersen timely 

appealed. 

II 

 We review for an abuse of discretion an order dismissing an action for failure 

to prosecute and effect service. See Scott v. Hern, 216 F.3d 897, 912 (10th Cir. 

2000). An abuse of discretion occurs when a district court makes a clear error of 

judgment or exceeds the bounds of permissible choice in the circumstances. McEwen 

v. City of Norman, 926 F.2d 1539, 1554 (10th Cir. 1991). Applying this deferential 

standard, we affirm the district court’s dismissal order. 

 On appeal, Petersen describes his disability and rehashes the grievances in his 

complaint. Specifically, he argues that he has “no need to be in nursing care” and 

that he “could have easily remained at home by contracting for the necessary services 

from a home-health agency.” Aplt. Br. at 2–3. He also states that he pays “out-ofpocket some $2500 a month because [his] policy maxes out . . . below the cost of a 

skilled-nursing facility,” which he argues violates the ADA and the Fourteenth 

Amendment. Id. at 3. 

 The district court, however, did not address the merits of Petersen’s claims; 

rather, it dismissed the action based on Petersen’s failure to prosecute and effect 

service. Having reviewed the entire record on appeal, we cannot say that the district 

court’s dismissal was an abuse of discretion. The magistrate judge, considering 
4 

Petersen’s disability and pro se status, extended service requirements approximately 

two months beyond the ninety-day period. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m). Despite this 

extension, Petersen failed to effect service. And while we are cognizant of the 

difficulties Petersen faced as a pro se litigant, including, as he points out, his 

unfamiliarity with PACER, the magistrate judge independently advised Petersen as to 

the status of his case; advised him to complete the pro se email filing and notification 

form; and identified numerous free or low-cost organizations for him to contact to 

obtain legal representation. Under these circumstances, the district court did not 

abuse its discretion in dismissing Petersen’s complaint for failure to prosecute and 

effect service. 

 The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. 

Entered for the Court 

Mary Beck Briscoe 

Circuit Judge