Reported / Citable
Background
Kendrick Wayne Thompson, a pro se prisoner confined at the Federal Correctional Institution in Beaumont, Texas, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241.
The district court referred the case to U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson. On August 4, 2026, the magistrate judge recommended granting the warden’s motion for summary judgment and denying Thompson’s petition. Proper notice was sent to Thompson’s last known address, and neither party filed objections.
The Court’s Holding
After reviewing the report and recommendation together with the record, pleadings, and available evidence, the district court concluded that the magistrate judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law were correct.
The court adopted the report and recommendation and granted the warden’s motion for summary judgment. The order stated that a separate final judgment would be entered in accordance with the magistrate judge’s recommendation; the order itself did not expressly deny the petition.
Key Takeaways
- The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation after no objections were filed.
- The court granted the warden’s motion for summary judgment.
- The court left disposition through final judgment to a separate judgment entered in accordance with the recommendation.
Why It Matters
The order illustrates the procedural distinction between adopting a magistrate judge’s recommendation and entering final judgment. Although the adopted recommendation called for denying Thompson’s § 2241 petition, the August 31 order expressly granted summary judgment and stated that final judgment would follow separately.