Opinion
Case: 1:15-cv-00777 (G Deck)
05-16-2015
Daud Abdullah Holiday, Plaintiff, v. United States of America, Defendant.
Assigned To : Unassigned Jury Demand
Assign. Date : 5/26/2015
Description: Habeas Corpus/2241
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on its initial review of plaintiff's pro se complaint and application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court will grant the in forma pauperis application and dismiss the case because the complaint fails to meet the minimal pleading requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Pro se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch, 656 F. Supp. 237, 239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires complaints to contain "(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction [and] (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a); see Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009); Ciralsky v. CIA, 355 F.3d 661, 668-71 (D.C. Cir. 2004). The Rule 8 standard ensures that defendants receive fair notice of the claim being asserted so that they can prepare a responsive answer and an adequate defense and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v. Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497. 498 (D.D.C. 1977).
Plaintiff is a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He has submitted a document captioned "Complaint Oral Argument Petitioner Writ and Motion Presented." Plaintiff invokes 28 U.S.C. § 2255, but the cryptic statements comprising the complaint fail to provide any notice of a claim for relief in habeas or otherwise. See Mayle v. Felix, 545 U.S. 644, 649 (2005) ("Rule 2(c) of the Rules Governing Habeas Corpus Cases requires a more detailed statement [than Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure]. The habeas rule instructs the petitioner to 'specify all the grounds for relief available to [him]' and to 'state the facts supporting each ground.' "). A separate order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
/s/_________
United States District Judge
Date: May 16, 2015