The Fourth Circuit denied Curtis Watson's petition for a writ of mandamus. The court found the petition moot as the magistrate judge had already acted on Watson's motions.
Curtis Watson filed a petition for a writ of mandamus, claiming undue delay by the magistrate judge in his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion and related motion for release.
The court’s reasoning
The court found the petition moot because the magistrate judge had already taken significant action on Watson’s § 2255 motion and other pending motions.
What it means going forward
The denial of the mandamus petition means that the magistrate judge’s actions on Watson’s motions stand without further directive from the appellate court.
