Opinion ID: 2634417
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Should the Case Have Been Dismissed for Want of Prosecution?

Text: Turning to Robert's third contention, whether a dismissal for want of prosecution should have been granted, Robert relies on Civil Rule 41(e)(1)(B), which permits dismissal for want of prosecution in a case that has been pending for more than one year where no trial or mandatory pretrial scheduling conference has been scheduled or held. Under this rule when a case has been pending for more than a year and the conditions of subsection (1)(B) are met, the court (or the clerk of court) is not to dismiss the case automatically but must request a showing as to why the case should not be dismissed. Thus in response to Robert's motion to dismiss the court could have asked the plaintiffs to show cause why the case should not be dismissed. But this was not necessary because shortly after Robert made his motion to dismiss the plaintiffs moved for summary judgment. Once that motion was made it would have been an abuse of discretion to enter a Rule 41(e) dismissal.