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Stuart — Section 2254 petition dismissed without prejudice under Rule 41(b)

Reported / Citable

Case
James Alexander Stuart v. Director, TDCJ-CID
Court
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division
Judge
Sean D. Jordan
Date Decided
August 7, 2026
Docket No.
4:25-CV-00901-SDJ-AGD
Topics
Habeas Corpus; Rule 41(b); Magistrate Judges

Background

James Alexander Stuart filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 against the Director of TDCJ-CID. The district court referred the matter to a United States magistrate judge under 28 U.S.C. § 636.

On May 26, 2026, the magistrate judge issued a report proposing findings of fact and recommending that the petition be dismissed without prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b). No timely objections to the report were filed.

The Court’s Holding

U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan concluded that the magistrate judge’s findings and conclusions were correct. The court adopted the report as its own findings and conclusions.

The court therefore dismissed Stuart’s Section 2254 petition without prejudice under Rule 41(b). The one-page opinion did not specify the conduct underlying the magistrate judge’s recommendation.

Key Takeaways

  • The court adopted the magistrate judge’s unopposed report and recommendation.
  • Stuart’s Section 2254 habeas petition was dismissed without prejudice under Rule 41(b).
  • The opinion did not identify the specific basis for the recommended Rule 41(b) dismissal.

Why It Matters

The ruling ended this federal habeas proceeding without prejudice, rather than adjudicating the petition’s merits in the text provided. Because the opinion does not describe the conduct supporting dismissal, its significance is limited to the court’s adoption of the unopposed recommendation and the resulting Rule 41(b) disposition.

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