Opinion
Civil Action No. 11 1539
08-26-2011
Dawn Norman, Plaintiff, v. Aston Judiciary Square et al Defendant.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on review of plaintiff s 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, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950 (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, a resident of Richmond, Virginia, sues two defendants in Washington D.C, one in Richmond, Virginia, and another in New York, New York. See Compl. Caption. She seeks damages exceeding $121 million "for withholding official documentation and trespassing - out of warrent [sic] - illegal entry on property . . . ." Compl. at 1. The cryptic complaint fails to provide any notice of a claim or a basis for federal court jurisdiction. A separate Order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
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United States District Judge