Pappas v. Federal Bureau of Prisons ( 2022 )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARKOS PAPPAS,
Plaintiff, Civil Action No. 15-880 (JMC)
v.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS et al.,
Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This Court DISMISSES this case because of Plaintiff’s failure to prosecute it and DENIES
as moot Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. ECF 37.
On December 21, 2021, the Court issued an Order vacating a previously scheduled status
conference because Federal Bureau of Prisons’ records reflected that Plaintiff, appearing pro se
and in forma pauperis, was no longer in federal custody. The Court located Plaintiff’s new address
on its own, mailed Plaintiff a copy of the Order vacating the conference to the new address, and
directed him to file a formal notice of change of address to proceed with this action as required by
Local Civil Rules 5.1(c) and 11.1 by January 11, 2021. Plaintiff never filed a notice of a change
of address with the Court. The Court then entered an Order on February 7, 2022, directing Plaintiff
to file a notice of his intention to continue litigating this action by March 7, 2022, or risk dismissal
for want of prosecution. A copy of the Order was mailed to Plaintiff that same day, but the Court
has not heard back from him.
District courts “have inherent power to dismiss a case sua sponte for a plaintiff’s failure to
prosecute or otherwise comply with a court order.” Peterson v. Archstone Cmtys. LLC, 637 F.3d
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416, 418 (D.C. Cir. 2011); see also LCvR 83.23 (“A dismissal for failure to prosecute may be
ordered by the Court . . . upon the Court’s own motion.”). Here, Plaintiff has failed to prosecute
this case by failing to respond to the Court’s Orders.
Because Plaintiff has failed to prosecute this case, the Court orders that this action be
DISMISSED. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss, ECF 37, is DENIED as moot. An Order is issued
separately.
SO ORDERED.
DATE: April 13, 2022
Jia M. Cobb
U.S. District Court Judge
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