Opinion ID: 4213885
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Motion to Reply to Defendants’ Answer

Text: Shortly after the defendants filed their answer, Stephens moved to file a reply. The magistrate judge denied the motion and the district court overruled Stephens’ objection to her ruling. The district court did not abuse its discretion. When a magistrate judge rules on a nondispositive matter, the district court “must consider timely objections and modify or set aside any part of the order that is clearly erroneous or is contrary to law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a). The clearly erroneous standard requires the district court to affirm unless the evidence as a whole leaves it “with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.” Allen v. Sybase, Inc., 468 F.3d 642, 658 (10th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks omitted). We, in turn, review the district court’s ruling for abuse of discretion. Id. at 659. Stephens argues he should have been allowed to file a reply because the defendants’ answer contained counterclaims. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allow “an answer to a counterclaim designated as a counterclaim.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(a)(3). But our review of the defendants’ answer reveals no designated counterclaims. Instead, the answer consists of a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of the allegations in Stephens’ complaint, including whether the defendants admit or deny each allegation, and a list of defenses. Because the answer asserts no counterclaims, the district court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to allow Stephens to file a reply. 5