Opinion
Civ. No. 20-5655 (NLH)
05-27-2020
HECTOR MORALES, Petitioner, v. WARDEN, Respondent.
APPEARANCE: Hector Morales 21204-014 Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution P.O. Box 2000 Joint Base MDL, NJ 08640 Petitioner Pro se
OPINION APPEARANCE: Hector Morales
21204-014
Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 2000
Joint Base MDL, NJ 08640
Petitioner Pro se HILLMAN, District Judge
Petitioner Hector Morales seeks to bring a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241. See ECF No. 1 (petition).
The filing fee for a petition for writ of habeas corpus is $5.00. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 54.3(a), the filing fee is required to be paid at the time the petition is presented for filing. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 81.2(b), whenever a prisoner submits a petition for writ of habeas corpus and seeks to proceed in forma pauperis, that petitioner must submit (a) an affidavit setting forth information which establishes that the petitioner is unable to pay the fees and costs of the proceedings, and (b) a certification signed by an authorized officer of the institution certifying (1) the amount presently on deposit in the prisoner's prison account and, (2) the greatest amount on deposit in the prisoner's institutional account during the six-month period prior to the date of the certification. If the institutional account of the petitioner exceeds $200, the petitioner shall not be considered eligible to proceed in forma pauperis. L. Civ. R. 81.2(c).
Here, Petitioner did not submit a compliant account statement. The account statement lists Petitioner's transaction but not his account balance, and it is not certified by a prison official. ECF No. 4. Petitioner must either submit the $5 filing fee or a compliant application to proceed in forma pauperis for his habeas petition to be considered.
For the reason set forth above, the Clerk of Court will be ordered to administratively terminate this Petition without prejudice. The Clerk will be instructed to reopen this matter once Petitioner submits either the filing fee or a complete in forma pauperis application. An appropriate Order will be entered. Dated: May 27, 2020
At Camden, New Jersey
Such an administrative termination is not a "dismissal" for purposes of the statute of limitations, and if the case is re-opened pursuant to the terms of the accompanying Order, it is not subject to the statute of limitations time bar if it was originally submitted timely. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266 (1988) (prisoner mailbox rule); Papotto v. Hartford Life & Acc. Ins. Co., 731 F.3d 265, 275-76 (3d Cir. 2013) (collecting cases and explaining that a District Court retains jurisdiction over, and can re-open, administratively closed cases). --------
s/ Noel L. Hillman
NOEL L. HILLMAN, U.S.D.J.