A prisoner's civil rights lawsuit was thrown out for failing to state a valid legal…
Kenneth Lamar Ancrum v. Lt Ms June and Ofc Ms Hilton
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A prisoner's civil rights lawsuit was thrown out for failing to state a valid legal…
Why it matters
In Ancrum v. Lt. Ms. June and Ofc. Ms. Hilton, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina dismissed the case brought by state prisoner Kenneth Lamar Ancrum against two correctional officers. The court adopted a magistrate judge's recommendation to dismiss the action without prejudice and without leave to amend, finding that Ancrum's complaint failed to state a claim on which relief could be granted under federal law. Ancrum did not file any objections to the magistrate judge's report, which also limited the court's obligation to conduct a detailed independent review.
Who it affects
This ruling directly affects Kenneth Lamar Ancrum, whose lawsuit was dismissed. More broadly, it reflects rules that apply to all prisoners and other litigants who file federal civil rights cases without legal representation, particularly the requirement to file specific objections to a magistrate judge's report in order to preserve the right to further review or appeal.
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Decision issued Aug 27, 2026
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- Decision issued Aug 27, 2026
- Possible rehearingParties can ask the same court to reconsider.
- Possible appeal to the circuit court
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Aug 27, 2026
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DEEPER READ
Kenneth Lamar Ancrum, a state prisoner representing himself and proceeding without paying court fees, filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, a federal law that allows people to sue government officials for violating their constitutional rights. He named two correctional officers, Lt. Ms. June and Ofc. Ms. Hilton, as defendants. Because Ancrum was proceeding without paying fees, the court was required by law to screen his complaint early in the process. A magistrate judge reviewed the complaint and issued a report recommending that the case be dismissed because the complaint failed to state a claim on which relief could be granted, which is the legal standard used to decide whether a lawsuit can move forward. Ancrum was notified of his right to file specific objections to the magistrate judge's report, but he did not do so within the required time. Under court rules, when a party does not file specific objections, the district court is only required to check the record for clear errors rather than conduct a full independent review. The court found no clear error and agreed with the magistrate judge's findings. As a result, Chief District Judge Timothy M. Cain dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning Ancrum is not permanently barred from raising his claims again if he can correct the deficiencies, though the court also denied him leave to amend in this proceeding. The dismissal also occurred without the complaint ever being formally served on the defendants. The court also noted that by failing to file specific objections to the magistrate judge's report, Ancrum waived his right to appeal the district court's judgment based on that recommendation.
CITATION AND RECORD
Record source: CourtListener
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA FLORENCE DIVISION Kenneth Lamar Ancrum, ) ) Plaintiff, ) Civil Action No. 4:26-cv-02906-TMC ) vs. ) ORDER ) Lt. Ms. June and Ofc. Ms. Hilton, ) ) Defendants. ) ) _________________________________) Plaintiff Kenneth Lamar Ancrum, a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed a standard form complaint asserting claims against Defendants under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (ECF No. 1). In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) and Local Civil Rule 73.02(B) (D.S.C.), this matter was referred to a magistrate judge for all pretrial proceedings. Now before the court is the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation (“Report”), recommending the court dismiss this action without prejudice and without leave to amend pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted. (ECF No. 10). The Report was mailed to Plaintiff’s address on record with the court. (ECF No. 11). The Report has not been returned marked undeliverable; thus, the court presumes Plaintiff received the Report. Plaintiff was advised of his right to file specific objections to the Report, (ECF No. 10 at 6), but failed to do so. The time for Plaintiff to object to the Report has expired, and this matter is ripe for review. The magistrate judge’s recommendation has no presumptive weight, and the responsibility for making a final determination remains with the United States District Court. Wimmer v. Cook, 774 F.2d 68, 72 (4th Cir. 1985) (quoting Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261, 270–71 (1976)). Nevertheless, “[t]he district court is only required to review de novo those portions of the report to which specific objections have been made, and need not conduct de novo review ‘when a party makes general and conclusory objections that do not direct the court to a specific error in the magistrate judge’s proposed findings and recommendations.’” Farmer v. McBride, 177 Fed. App’x 327, 330–31 (4th Cir. April 26, 2006) (quoting Orpiano v. Johnson, 687 F.2d 44, 47 (4th Cir. 1982)); see also Elijah v. Dunbar, 66 F.4th 454, 460 (4th Cir. 2023) (noting “an objecting party ‘must object to the finding or recommendation on that issue with sufficient specificity so as reasonably to alert the district court of the true ground for the objection’” and “‘an objection stating only “I object” preserves no issue for review’” (quoting United States v. Midgette, 478 F.3d 616, 622 (4th Cir. 2007); Lockert v. Faulkner, 843 F.2d 1015, 1019 (7th Cir. 1988))). Thus, “in the absence of a timely filed objection, a district court need not conduct a de novo review, but instead must ‘only satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the recommendation.’” Diamond v. Colonial Life & Accident Ins. Co., 416 F.3d 310, 315 (4th Cir. 2005) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 72 Advisory Committee’s note). The court may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the recommendation made by the magistrate judge or recommit the matter with instructions. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). However, in the absence of specific objections to the Report and Recommendation, this Court is not required to give any explanation for adopting the recommendation. Greenspan v. Bros. Prop. Corp., 103 F. Supp. 3d 734, 737 (D.S.C. 2015) (citing Camby v. Davis, 718 F.2d 198, 199–200 (4th Cir. 1983)). Furthermore, failure to file specific written objections to the Report results in a party’s waiver of the right to appeal the district court’s judgment based upon that recommendation. See Elijah, 66 F.4th at 460 (quoting Lockert, 843 F.2d at 1019); Martin v. Duffy, 858 F.3d 239, 245 (4th Cir. 2017). After a careful and thorough review of the Report and the record under the appropriate standards, as set forth above, the Court agrees with the findings and conclusions of the magistrate judge and finds no reason to deviate from the magistrate judge’s recommended disposition as set forth in the Report. Accordingly, the court ADOPTS the Report, (ECF No. 10), and incorporates it as if set forth fully herein. This action is hereby DISMISSED without prejudice, without leave to amend and without issuance and service of process. IT IS SO ORDERED. s/Timothy M. Cain Chief United States District Judge Greenville, South Carolina August 27, 2026 NOTICE OF RIGHT TO APPEAL The parties are hereby notified of the right to appeal this order pursuant to Rules 3 and 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.
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