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Risenhoover v. Trump

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Feb 24, 2020
Civil Action No. 20-39 (UNA) (D.D.C. Feb. 24, 2020)

Opinion

Civil Action No. 20-39 (UNA)

02-24-2020

Paul Maas Risenhoover, Plaintiff, v. Donald Trump et al, Defendants.


MEMORANDUM OPINION

This action, brought pro se, is before the Court on review of plaintiff's application to proceed in forma pauperis and complaint. The Court will grant the application and dismiss the case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B) (requiring dismissal of a case upon a determination that the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted).

A "complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). Plaintiff has filed a largely incomprehensible pleading in which he seeks declaratory relief "for right of locomotion free from being perjoratively designated as Chinese, rather than as Japanese Formosans." Compl. at 1. Among the listed defendants are President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

It is a "well-established rule that the Declaratory Judgment Act 'is not an independent source of federal jurisdiction.' Rather, 'the availability of [declaratory] relief presupposes the existence of a judicially remediable right.'" Ali v. Rumsfeld, 649 F.3d 762, 778 (D.C. Cir. 2011) (quoting C & E Servs., Inc. of Washington v. D.C. Water & Sewer Auth., 310 F.3d 197, 201 (D.C. Cir. 2002). Plaintiff has "not alleged a cognizable cause of action" and thus has "no basis upon which to seek declaratory relief." Id. A separate order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion. Date: February 24, 2020

/s/_________

United States District Judge


Summaries of

Risenhoover v. Trump

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Feb 24, 2020
Civil Action No. 20-39 (UNA) (D.D.C. Feb. 24, 2020)
Case details for

Risenhoover v. Trump

Case Details

Full title:Paul Maas Risenhoover, Plaintiff, v. Donald Trump et al, Defendants.

Court:UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Date published: Feb 24, 2020

Citations

Civil Action No. 20-39 (UNA) (D.D.C. Feb. 24, 2020)