Szostak v. Rutherford County Adult Detention Center et al

1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
NASHVILLE DIVISION
JOSEPH ANTHONY SZOSTAK, III,
Plaintiff,
v.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY ADULT
DETENTION CENTER, et al.,
Defendants.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
No. 3:25-cv-01187
Chief Judge William L. Campbell, Jr.
ORDER
Pending is Plaintiff’s second Motion for Default Judgment as to Defendants. (Doc. No.
25). For the following reasons Plaintiff’s Motion is DENIED.
Plaintiff filed this action on October 14, 2025. (Doc. No. 1). Plaintiff also filed an
Application for Leave to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP Application”), (Doc. No. 2), which
remains pending. Plaintiff filed a Motion for Entry of Default and Motion for Default Judgment
on December 1, 2025, which the Clerk denied on December 4, 2025. (Doc. No. 23). Plaintiff filed
the pending Motion for Default Judgment on December 9, 2025. (Doc. No. 25). As explained by
the Clerk when denying Plaintiff’s first motion, until the Court rules on the IFP Application, the
Clerk’s Office cannot issue summonses, and neither Plaintiff nor the U.S. Marshal Service can
serve process upon the defendants. As a result, Plaintiff’s Motion for Default Judgment (Doc. No.
25) is premature and DENIED.
s/ Lynda M. Hill
Lynda M. Hill
Clerk of Court
Case 3:25-cv-01187 Document 26 Filed 12/15/25 Page 1 of 1 PageID #: <pageID>