PERCY ANDERSON, District Judge.
On April 25, 2018, petitioner Son Hoang Nguyen ("Petitioner"), who is proceeding
On June 15, 2018, this action was transferred to the calendar of the undersigned Magistrate Judge by order of the Chief Magistrate Judge (the "Reassignment Order"). [Dkt. No. 7]. On June 21, 2018, Respondents filed a Notice That Petitioner Has Been Released From Custody and Suggestion of Mootness ("Notice of Release"). [Dkt. No. 8]. Respondents provided evidence that, on or about May 15, 2018, Petitioner was released from ICE custody on an order of supervision. Respondents argue that as a result, the Petition should be denied and the case dismissed as moot. [Dkt. No. 8, pp. 2-6].
On July 3, 2018, the Petitioner's notice copy of the Reassignment Order was returned to the Court as undeliverable, which tends to corroborate the fact that Petitioner has been released. [Dkt. No. 9]. On October 15, 2018, the Court issued an order requiring Petitioner's response to Respondents' Notice of Release ("Order Requiring Petitioner's Response"). [Dkt. No. 11]. The Order Requiring Petitioner's Response directed Petitioner to respond by no later than October 29, 2018. On October 29, 2018, the Petitioner's notice copy of the Order Requiring Petitioner's Response was returned to the Court as "unable to forward." [Dkt. No. 12, p. 1]. The deadline for responding to the Order's Requiring Response has passed and Petitioner has not responded.
Summary dismissal of the Petition is warranted in this case because the Petitioner has failed to comply with Court orders, the Local Rules, and it appears the Petition is moot. Local Rule 72-3.2 states, "[I]f it plainly appears from the face of the petition that the petitioner is not entitled to relief, the Magistrate Judge may prepare a proposed order for summary dismissal and submit it and a proposed judgment to the District Judge."
Dismissal of the Petition is appropriate for failure to comply with Local Rules and keep the Court apprised of Petitioner's current address. Central District Local Rule 41-6 requires
It is well-established that a district court may dismiss an action for failure to prosecute, failure to follow court orders, or failure to comply with the federal or local rules.
In determining whether to dismiss a case for failure to prosecute, failure to comply with court orders, or failure to comply with a local rule, a district court should consider the following five factors: (1) the public's interest in expeditious resolution of litigation; (2) the court's need to manage its docket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the defendants; (4) the availability of less drastic sanctions; and (5) the public policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits.
Here, the five factors support dismissal of Petitioner's action based on his failure to provide the Court a current address in compliance with Local Rule 41-6. The first factor—the public's interest in the expeditious resolution of litigation—"always favors dismissal."
The second factor—the Court's need to manage its docket—also supports dismissal. The Ninth Circuit has noted that the "legitimate and solitary" objective of provisions such as Local Rule 41-6 is "to give pro se litigants an incentive to inform the court of any change of address to allow for the orderly processing of the lawsuit."
The third factor—prejudice to Respondents—weighs in favor of dismissal. This case has been pending for months without action by Petitioner, and Petitioner has not received the Court's Order Requiring Petitioner's Response due to his failure to provide an updated address. "[T]he failure to prosecute diligently is sufficient by itself to justify a dismissal, even in the absence of a showing of actual prejudice to the defendant from the failure. The law presumes injury from unreasonable delay."
The fourth factor—availability of less drastic sanctions—also favors dismissal. Local Rule 41-6 by itself requires Petitioner to keep the Court notified of a current address. After the Court learned of Petitioner's potential release from custody pursuant to an order of supervision from the Respondents, the Court issued an order affirmatively requiring Petitioner to file a response to the Notice of Release by no later than October 29, 2018, stating whether he concedes or disputes that this case is moot. [Dkt. No. 11]. Plaintiff was expressly cautioned that "[f]ailure to timely comply with this Order may be construed as consent to the denial of the Petition and dismissal of this case as moot." [
The fifth factor—public policy favoring a disposition of an action on its merits— weighs against dismissal.
Here, four of the five enumerated factors support dismissal for failure to comply with Local Rule 41-6.
Dismissal is warranted because the Petition is moot. Respondents represent that on or about May 15, 2018, ICE released Petitioner from immigration custody on an order of supervision. [Dkt. No. 8, p. 2]. Accordingly, Respondents contend that Petitioner's requested relief—that he be released from custody—has been granted.
Article III of the Constitution "limits the jurisdiction of the federal courts to live cases and controversies."
Here, Petitioner's requested habeas relief is that "he be released under reasonable conditions of supervision." [Dkt. No. 1, p. 8]. Since Petitioner has been released from custody on an order of supervision and therefore received all the relief that he requested, there is no further relief this Court can provide in this action.
There is an exception to the mootness doctrine for cases that are "capable of repetition, yet evading review."
In this case, Petitioner has not alleged that there is a reasonable expectation that he will be subject to indefinite detention proceedings in the future, or that the time spent in ICE detention pending removal proceedings (or a proceeding to determine the appropriateness of release under conditions of supervision) will always be so short as to evade review. As such, no case or controversy exists at this time, and this action is moot. The Petition should be dismissed.
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Petition is dismissed without prejudice. A separate judgment will be entered accordingly.