Opinion
Civil Action No. 16-291 (PGS)
02-09-2016
GOLDA D. HARRIS, Plaintiff, v. BUREAU OF PAROLE CORR., et al., Defendants.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Plaintiff Golda Harris, a convicted and sentenced prisoner currently confined at Edna Mahon Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, seeks to bring this civil action in forma pauperis, without prepayment of fees or security, asserting claims pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"), which amends 28 U.S.C. § 1915, establishes certain financial requirements for prisoners who are attempting to bring a civil action in forma pauperis.
Under the Act, a prisoner bringing a civil action in forma pauperis must submit an affidavit, including a statement of all assets, which states that the prisoner is unable to pay the fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1). The prisoner also must submit a certified copy of her inmate trust fund account statement for the six-month period immediately preceding the filing of her complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). The prisoner must obtain this statement from the appropriate official of each prison at which she was or is confined. Id.
The entire fee to be paid in advance of filing a civil complaint is $400. That fee includes a filing fee of $350 plus an administrative fee of $50, for a total of $400. A prisoner who is granted in forma pauperis status will, instead, be assessed a filing fee of $350 and will not be responsible for the $50 administrative fee. If in forma pauperis status is denied, the prisoner must pay the full $400, including the $350 filing fee and the $50 administrative fee, before the complaint will be filed.
If the prisoner is granted in forma pauperis status, the prisoner must pay the full amount of the $350 filing fee as follows. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). In each month that the amount in the prisoner's account exceeds $10.00, until the $350.00 filing fee is paid, the agency having custody of the prisoner shall assess, deduct from the prisoner's account, and forward to the Clerk of the Court, payment equal to 20% of the preceding month's income credited to the prisoner's account. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).
Plaintiff may not have known when she submitted her complaint that she must pay the filing fee, and that even if the full filing fee, or any part of it, has been paid, the Court must dismiss the case if it finds that the action is: (1) frivolous or malicious; (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted; or (3) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). If the Court dismisses the case for any of these reasons, the Act does not permit the prisoner to get her filing fee back.
In this action, Plaintiff failed to submit a complete in forma pauperis application as required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Specifically, Plaintiff's certified account statement is not for the six months immediately preceding the filing of the Complaint. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2).
While this Court cannot rule out the possibility that Plaintiff was unable to obtain the signature of an authorized prison official certifying her account and a copy of her account statement for the six months immediately preceding the filing of the Complaint, Plaintiff must provide a certification specifying the names and titles of authorized prison officials whom she approached with requests for a certified copy of her account statement for the six month period immediately preceding the filing of her Complaint; the dates of these requests; and the reasons these authorized prison officials gave to Plaintiff in connection with their decisions to decline her requests. Upon being presented with Plaintiff's certification to that effect, this Court would be in the position to determine whether it should excuse Plaintiff's failure to obtain an authorized prison official's signature and a current copy of her account statement, or whether the Court should conduct an additional inquiry into this matter.
THEREFORE, it is on this 9 day of February, 2016;
ORDERED that Plaintiff's request to proceed in forma pauperis is hereby DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE; and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall ADMINISTRATIVELY TERMINATE this case, without filing the complaint or assessing a filing fee; Plaintiff is informed that administrative termination is not a "dismissal" for purposes of the statute of limitations, and that if the case is reopened, it is not subject to the statute of limitations time bar if it was originally filed timely, see Jenkins v. Superintendent of Laurel Highlands, 705 F.3d 80, 84 n.2 (3d Cir. 2013) (describing prisoner mailbox rule generally); Dasilva v. Sheriff's Dep't, 413 F. App'x 498, 502 (3d Cir. 2011) ("[The] statute of limitations is met when a complaint is submitted to the clerk before the statute runs ...."); and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall send Plaintiff the form entitled Affidavit of Poverty and Account Certification (Civil Rights)(DNJ ProSe 007 A(Rev. 5/13)) to be used by Plaintiff in any future application to proceed in forma pauperis; and it is further
ORDERED that if Plaintiff wishes to reopen this case, she shall so notify the Court, in writing addressed to the Clerk of the Court, Clarkson S. Fisher Building & U.S. Courthouse, 402 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608, within 30 days of the date of entry of this Order; Plaintiff's writing shall include either (1) a complete, signed in forma pauperis application, including a certified prison account statement for the six months immediately preceding the filing of the Complaint (or Plaintiff's certification detailing her efforts with regard to obtaining that signature and account statement and the reasons she was given by the approached prison officials as to their decisions to decline of her requests), or (2) the $400 fee including the $350 filing fee plus the $50 administrative fee; and it is further
ORDERED that upon receipt of a writing from Plaintiff stating that she wishes to reopen this case, and either a complete in forma pauperis application or payment of the filing and administrative fees within the time allotted by this Court, the Clerk of the Court will be directed to reopen this case; and it is finally
ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall serve a copy of this Order upon Plaintiff by regular U.S. mail.
/s/_________
Peter G. Sheridan, U.S.D.J.