HOOD et al v. TOWN OF OCHLOCKNEE GEORGIA et al

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
VALDOSTA DIVISION
FRANCES HOOD and
MATTHEW A. WILLIAMS,
Plaintiffs,
v.
MAYOR RONELLE SEARCY,
et al.,
Defendants.
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CASE NO:
7:25-cv-184–WLS
ORDER
By Order (Doc. 21) (“TRO”) entered December 23, 2025, the Court granted Plaintiffs’
Rule 65 Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (Doc. 3) (“TRO Motion”). Therein,
Defendants were ordered to immediately restore water service to Plaintiff Frances Hood. The
TRO was to remain in place for fourteen days or until January 6, 2026 at 5:10 p.m. The Parties
were further ordered to immediately notify the Court with any updates regarding the pending
state court action scheduled to take place on January 8, 2026, and whether the TRO should
be lifted or extended.
Presently before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction or to
Continue Temporary Restraining Order Pending Preliminary Injunction Hearing (Doc. 22)
(“Motion to Continue TRO”) filed January 5, 2026. Therein, Plaintiffs move for entry of a
preliminary injunction or, in the alternative, request the Court continue the TRO pending a
hearing on Plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction. Defendants promptly filed a Notice
of Non-Opposition to Time-Limited Interim Relief (Doc. 23) (“Response”).
In the TRO entered December 23, 2025, the Court noted that there were proceedings
pending in the Superior Court of Thomas County, Georgia (Case No. SU-CV-2025-000658),
those state proceedings involve important state interests, and likely afford an adequate
opportunity for Plaintiffs to raise their constitutional issues of due process. However, the
pending state proceedings were not scheduled to occur until January 8, 2026. Therefore,
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although Younger1 abstention would normally apply, the Court found that an exception to the
Younger doctrine applied because Ms. Hood had been without water since November 18, 2025,
and for the reasons stated in the TRO, she would suffer an irreparable injury while waiting for
the state court proceeding to occur on January 8, 2026. Thus the TRO was entered to maintain
the status quo per the Court’s Order, pending the scheduled state court hearing.
In their Response, the Defendants state they do not oppose a limited interim order
maintaining water service to Ms. Hood until entry of an order by the Superior Court of
Thomas County, Georgia, following the January 8, 2026 hearing, or until 11:59 p.m. on
January 9, 2026, whichever occurs first. Defendants reserve any right to terminate Ms. Hood’s
water service in the future upon lawful notice and process.
Based on Defendants’ statements and agreements and the imminent state court
proceedings 	which 	likely 	afford 	an 	adequate 	opportunity 	for 	Plaintiffs 	to 	raise 	their
constitutional issues of due process, the Court extends the TRO (Doc. 21) until entry of an
order following the referenced January 8, 2026 state court hearing or until 11:59 p.m. on
January 9, 2026, whichever first occurs.
Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction or to Continue Temporary
Restraining Order Pending Preliminary Injunction Hearing (Doc. 22) is GRANTED by
extension of the Court’s prior TRO (Doc. 21) for the reasons stated therein and as agreed to
by Defendants and as ordered herein.
SO ORDERED, this 7th day of January 2026.
/s/W. Louis Sands
W. LOUIS SANDS, SR. JUDGE
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
1 Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971).
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