automatically substituting new warden in his official capacity for deceased warden defendant in a habeas corpus action
How later courts described this case
- automatically substituting new warden in his official capacity for deceased warden defendant in a habeas corpus action
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
d
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
ALEXANDRIA DIVISION
KENNY BONDS #292089, CIVIL DOCKET NO. 1:20-CV-00293
Plaintiff SEC P
VERSUS JUDGE DAVID C. JOSEPH
W S SANDY MCCAIN ET AL, MAGISTRATE JUDGE PEREZ-MONTES
Defendants
MEMORANDUM ORDER
plaintiff Kenny Bonds (“Bonds”) filed a civil rights complaint,
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The named Defendants are Warden W.S.
Sandy McCain, James Longino, and Steve Bordelon.
Defendant W.S. Sandy McCain was dismissed on notice of death. ECF Nos.
12, 15. However, the current warden, Marcus Myers, was not substituted for Warden
McCain on the record.
Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d) provides in pertinent part:
(d) Public Officers; Death or Separation from Office. An action does not
abate when a public officer who is a party in an official capacity dies,
resigns, or otherwise ceases to hold office while the action is pending.
The officer's successor is automatically substituted as a party. Later
proceedings should be in the substituted party's name, but any
misnomer not affecting the parties' substantial rights must be
disregarded. The court may order substitution at any time, but the
absence of such an order does not affect the substitution.
“The general term ‘public officer’ ... comprises Federal, State, and local officers.” Rule
25, Advisory Committee Notes, Note to Subdivision (d)(1). “In general [Rule 25(d)]
will apply whenever effective relief would call for corrective behavior by the one then
having official status and power, rather than one who has lost that status and power
through ceasing to hold office.” Note to Subdivision (d)(1); see also Kentucky v.
Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 166 n. 11 (1985); Aschan v. Auger, 861 F.2d 520, 521 n. 2 (8th
Cir. 1988) (automatically substituting new warden in his official capacity for deceased
warden defendant in a habeas corpus action); Dixon v. Barr, 2021 WL 415811, at □□□
3 (W.D. La. 2021); American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, Inc. v. Finch, 638
F.2d 1336, 1341-42 (5th Cir. 1981); Muslow v. Board of Supervisors of Louisiana
States University, 2020 WL 4471647, * 11 (E.D. La. 2020).
Because Warden Myers was automatically substituted as a Defendant by
operation of law, the Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to add Warden Marcus Myers to
the docket as a Defendant in substitution for Warden McCain.
SIGNED on Monday, March 8, 2021.
□□□
JOSEPH H.L. PEREZ-MONTES
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE