George Hoeppner v. M.A. Delafoisse, Warden, Federal Prison Camp Yankton

Hoeppner v. Delafoisse · United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Southern Division · June 17, 2026 · No. 4:25-CV-04227-RAL

Summary

The United States District Court for the District of South Dakota adopted a magistrate judge’s Report and Recommendation in George Hoeppner’s 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenge to a Bureau of Prisons disciplinary proceeding. Because Hoeppner had been transferred out of the district and filed no objection, the court dismissed the petition without prejudice as moot.

Court
United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Southern Division
Writing for the Court
Chief Judge
Jurisdiction
United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, Southern Division
Decision date
June 17, 2026
Docket number
4:25-CV-04227-RAL
Procedural posture
Petitioner's pro se 28 U.S.C. § 2241 petition challenging a Bureau of Prisons disciplinary proceeding was dismissed without prejudice as moot after the petitioner was transferred out of the District of South Dakota and failed to object to the magistrate judge's Report and Recommendation.
Standard of review
Because no timely objection was filed, the court did not conduct de novo review of factual issues; it reviewed the Report and Recommendation for legal error.
Precedential value
nonprecedential
Parties
George Hoeppner v. M.A. Delafoisse, Warden, Federal Prison Camp Yankton
Disposition
dismissed

Topics

federal habeas corpuspost-conviction reliefcivil procedureprocedural due process

Practice areas

Federal habeas corpusPrisoner litigationAdministrative law

Questions Presented

  1. Whether the district court should adopt the magistrate judge's Report and Recommendation when no timely objection was filed.
  2. Whether Hoeppner's § 2241 petition should be dismissed without prejudice as moot after his transfer out of the District of South Dakota.

Holdings

  1. When a party does not timely object to a magistrate judge's Report and Recommendation, the district court need not conduct de novo review of factual questions and may review the recommendation for legal error.
  2. The § 2241 petition was dismissed without prejudice as moot because Hoeppner had been transferred out of the District of South Dakota.

Key quotations

Given the absence of timely objection, this Court need not review the facts de novo.
For good cause it is ORDERED that the Report and Recommendation, Doc. 10, is adopted and Hoeppner’s petition is dismissed without prejudice as moot.

Factual background

Hoeppner filed a federal habeas petition challenging a Bureau of Prisons disciplinary proceeding. The Warden argued that Hoeppner received procedural due process during that proceeding. Before the matter was resolved, Hoeppner was transferred out of the District of South Dakota, leading the magistrate judge to recommend dismissal as moot.

Procedural history

Hoeppner filed a § 2241 petition challenging a BOP disciplinary proceeding. The Warden responded that the petition should be denied because Hoeppner received procedural due process. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy recommended dismissal without prejudice as moot because Hoeppner had been transferred out of the district. The district court adopted the Report and Recommendation after Hoeppner filed no objection.

Court Document

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