Reported / Citable
Background
CJ Grisham sued Larry Smith and other defendants in the Eastern District of Texas. The action was referred to U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love for findings, conclusions, and a recommended disposition.
On April 22, 2026, Judge Love recommended granting certain defendants’ summary-judgment motion based on qualified immunity. Grisham timely objected to that recommendation.
The Court’s Holding
District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle conducted de novo review of the objected-to portions of the report and the record. The court found the report correct and Grisham’s objections without merit.
The court overruled the objections, adopted the report as the district court’s opinion, and granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. Grisham’s claims against Robert Carlson, Tim Jones, Matthew Lazarine, FNU Samuels, and Larry R. Smith were dismissed with prejudice.
Key Takeaways
- The court granted summary judgment on qualified-immunity grounds.
- The plaintiff’s objections to the magistrate judge’s recommendation were overruled after de novo review.
- The claims against the five identified defendants were dismissed with prejudice.
Why It Matters
The order ends Grisham’s claims against the identified defendants at the summary-judgment stage. It also confirms that the district court adopted the magistrate judge’s qualified-immunity analysis after independently reviewing the challenged recommendation.