Eldredge v. State of Utah Officials et al

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF UTAH
LANDON B. ELDREDGE,
Plaintiff,
v.
STATE OF UTAH OFFICIALS, official
capacity, injunctive relief only; THE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-
DAY SAINTS, corporate sole; MEB
ANDERSON, individual capacity; REX P.
SHIPP, individual capacity; PETER
SCHOFIELD, individual capacity; JACOB
GREEN, individual capacity; COLTON
MATHESON, individual capacity;
KENNETH PORTER, individual capacity,
Defendant.
MEMORANDUM DECISION
AND ORDER STAYING EMERGENCY
MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY
INJUNCTION AND
DECLARATORY RELIEF
Case No. 4:25-cv-00138-DN-PK
District Judge David Nuffer
Mr. Eldredge’s Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Declaratory Relief1
has been reviewed. Three motions to dismiss2 from all defendants are pending. Mr. Eldredge’s
motion for extension of time3 to respond to those motions was granted giving him until March 6,
2026, to file his responses.4 Because he has delayed adjudication of his claims on the merits, his
current application for preliminary emergency relief is unfair. He does not come to the court with
1 Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Memorandum in Support, docket no. 28, filed February 2, 2026.
2 Defendant Rex P. Shipp’s Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, docket no. 18, filed January 6, 2026;
Defendant Meb Anderson’s Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, docket no. 19, filed January 6, 2026;
Defendants Jacob Green, Colton Matheson, Justin Pendleton, Kenneth Porter, Peter Schofield, and The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’s Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, docket no. 22, filed January 8,
2026;
3 Eldredge’s Motion for Extension of Time, docket no. 26, January 21, 2026.
4 Order Granting Motion for Extension of Time, docket no. 27, filed January 22, 2026.
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clean hands.5 Also, his likelihood of success cannot fairly be determined until the motions to
dismiss are resolved.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction and
Declaratory Relief6 is STAYED until the motions to dismiss are resolved by final order of this
court. 14 days after those motions are resolved, responses to the Emergency Motion for
Preliminary Injunction and Declaratory Relief will be due from defendants.
Signed February 4, 2026.
BY THE COURT
________________________________________
David Nuffer
United States District Judge
5 Haynes Trane Serv. Agency, Inc. v. Am. Standard, Inc., 573 F.3d 947 (10th Cir. 2009); Li v. Lewis, No. 20-4089,
2021 WL 4592270 (10th Cir. Oct. 6, 2021).
6 Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Memorandum in Support, docket no. 28, filed February 2, 2026.
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