Opinion
Case Number 09-14560-BC.
April 22, 2010
This matter is before the Court on a report and recommendation [Dkt # 141] issued by Magistrate R. Steven Whalen on February 28, 2010. The report and recommendation addresses the motion to dismiss or for summary judgment filed on April 9, 2009, by Defendants Judith Daoust, Correctional Medical Services ("CMS"), and Debbie Russ [Dkt. # 82]. While the report and recommendation also addresses the claims of another prisoner, Matthew Catanzaro [case no. 08-11173] this Court's order addresses only Plaintiff Garrison's claims and the portion of the report and recommendation applicable to Plaintiff Garrison's claims. While Plaintiff Garrison and Matthew Catanzaro initially filed a joint complaint, the Court severed Plaintiff Garrison and Matthew Catanzaro's claims and directed the Clerk of the Court to assign a new case number to Plaintiff Garrison's claims on November 19, 2009. As identified in the caption of this document, the case number assigned to Plaintiff Garrison is 09-14560.
The magistrate judge recommends that Defendants Daoust, CMS, and Russ's motion to dismiss or for summary judgment be granted as to Plaintiff Garrison because Plaintiff Garrison's allegations do not amount to "deliberate indifference" to a "serious" medical need within the meaning of the Eighth Amendment. As of today's date, no party has filed any objections to the magistrate judge's report and recommendation. The election to not file objections to the magistrate judge's report releases the Court from its duty to independently review the record. Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 149 (1985). Nonetheless, the Court agrees with the conclusion reached by the magistrate judge.
The Court also notes that mail returned to the Court as undeliverable indicates that Plaintiff Garrison was released on parole on February 9, 2010. In light of the fact that Plaintiff Garrison has not provided a current address to the Court, the Court has continued to mail documents to Plaintiff Garrison at the most recently provided address and mail has continued to be returned as undeliverable. Plaintiff Garrison is obligated to promptly inform the Court of changes to his contact information, see E.D. Mich. LR 11.2, and the fact that he has not done so does not justify delaying resolution of the motion that he is aware has been pending since April 9, 2009.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the magistrate judge's report and recommendation [Dkt. # 141] is ADOPTED as it pertains to Plaintiff Garrison.
It is further ORDERED that Defendants Daoust, CMS, and Russ's motion to dismiss or for summary judgment [Dkt. # 82] is GRANTED as it pertains to Plaintiff Garrison, and that Plaintiff Garrison's claims against Defendants Daoust, CMS, and Russ are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.
It is further ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to update the status of Defendants Daoust, CMS, and Russ to "terminated" on the docket, to terminate the pending motion [Dkt. # 82] on the docket, and to terminate the report and recommendation [Dkt. # 141] on the docket; and that resolution of the motion and report and recommendation in this case [09-14560] does not affect the motion or report and recommendation pending in Matthew Catanzaro's case [08-11173].