Ordoukhanian v. Missouri State Highway Patrol et al

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

RAYMOND DEAN ORDOUKHANIAN, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) No. 4:26-cv-00944-JMD
)
MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY )
PATROL, et al., )
)
Defendants. )

ORDER

Raymond Dean Ordoukhanian, an inmate, has filed a prisoner civil rights
complaint, plus several other motions. But as he acknowledges, this lawsuit simply
duplicates an argument he is pressing in a different case. ECF 1 at 17 (acknowledging
that this suit “is directly tied to . . . No. 4:25-cv-1715-MAL”). Ordoukhanian complains
that the prison will not let him access a flash drive, and he says this is frustrating his
ability to litigate his habeas claim in No. 4:25-cv-1715-MAL. ECF 1 at 20–21. But he is
arguing the same issue in the other case, which was filed before this one. E.g., ECF 33
and 44 in No. 4:25-cv-1715-MAL. Ordoukhanian cannot litigate the same issue
simultaneously in two suits. The doctrine against claim splitting “permits the dismissal
of a duplicative action while the first action remains pending.” Kezhaya v. City of Belle
Plaine, Minn., 78 F.4th 1045, 1050 (8th Cir. 2023). This suit is DISMISSED.

Dated this 3rd day of July, 2026

____________________________________
JOSHUA M. DIVINE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR THE EASTERN AND WESTERN
DISTRICTS OF MISSOURI
Case: 4:26-cv-00994-JMD Doc. #: 9 Filed: 07/03/26 Page: 1 of 1 PageID #:
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