Opinion
Civil Action No. 11-cv-03380-BNB
01-04-2012
HENRY LEE GRIFFIN, JR., Plaintiff, v. JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, as Governor of the State of Colorado, in Official Capacity, TOM CLEMENTS, in His Individual and Official Capacity, and JOHN L. DAVIS, in His Individual and Official Capacity, Defendants.
(The above civil action number must appear on all future papers sent to the court in this action. Failure to include this number may result in a delay in the consideration of your claims.)
ORDER GRANTING 28 U.S.C. § 1915 MOTION
WITHOUT PAYMENT OF INITIAL PARTIAL FILING FEE
Plaintiff, Henry Lee Griffin, Jr., is a prisoner in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections and is currently incarcerated in the Buena Vista Correctional Complex in Buena Vista, Colorado. Plaintiff has filed pro se a Prisoner Complaint, a Prisoner's Motion and Affidavit for Leave to Proceed Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 and a "Motion Requesting Court to Order United States Marshals to Serve Summons and Complaint on all Defendants and Colo. Attorney Gen." The Prisoner's Motion and Affidavit for Leave to Proceed Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 will be granted. Based on the information about his financial status, the court finds that Plaintiff is unable to pay an initial partial filing fee pursuant to § 1915(b)(1).
Title 28 U.S.C. § 1915 requires a prisoner bringing a civil action "to pay the full amount of a filing fee." 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). If a prisoner is unable to afford the full amount of the filing fee when the case is filed, the statute provides for payment of the filing fee through an initial partial filing fee and monthly installments of the balance until the full filing fee is paid. However, "[i]n no event shall a prisoner be prohibited from bringing a civil action or appealing a civil or criminal judgment for the reason that the prisoner has no assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing fee." 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4).
Plaintiff may proceed in this action without payment of an initial partial filing fee. However, although he need not pay an initial partial filing fee, Plaintiff remains obligated to pay the required $350.00 filing fee through monthly installments as directed in this order. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that the Prisoner's Motion and Affidavit for Leave to Proceed Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 (Doc. No. 2) is granted. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff may proceed in this action without payment of an initial partial filing fee. Plaintiff remains obligated to pay the full amount of the required $350.00 filing fee pursuant to § 1915(b)(1) regardless of the outcome of this action. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that, until the $350.00 filing fee is paid in full, Plaintiff shall make monthly payments to the court of twenty (20) percent of the preceding month's income credited to his account or show cause why he has no assets and no means by which to make each monthly payment. Plaintiff is directed to make the necessary arrangements to have the monthly payments identified by the civil action number on this order. In order to show cause, Plaintiff must file a current certified copy of his trust fund account statement. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that if Plaintiff fails to have the appropriate monthly payment sent to the clerk of the court each month or to show cause each month as directed above why he has no assets and no means by which to make the monthly payment, the complaint may be dismissed without prejudice and without further notice. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that the "Motion Requesting Court to Order United States Marshals to Serve Summons and Complaint on all Defendants and Colo. Attorney Gen." (Doc. No. 3) is denied as unnecessary. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that process shall not issue at this time.
DATED January 4, 2012, at Denver, Colorado.
BY THE COURT:
Boyd N. Boland
United States Magistrate Judge