Opinion
3:23-CV-00433-ART-CLB
08-30-2023
THOMAS L. WILLIAMS, Plaintiff v. VETERANS AFFAIRS, et. al., Defendants.
ORDER DENYING APPLICATION TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS AND ORDERING PLAINTIFF TO PAY FILING FEE OR FILE COMPLETE APPLICATION TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS
[ECF No. 1]
I. DISCUSSION
On August 30, 2023, Plaintiff Thomas L. Williams (“Williams”), an inmate in the custody of Washoe County Detention Center filed a civil rights complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (ECF No. 1-1.) Williams also filed an application to proceed in forma pauperis, (ECF No. 1), however the application is incomplete and is therefore denied.
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and Local Rule LSR 1-2, an inmate seeking to begin a civil action in this Court may apply to proceed in forma pauperis in order to file the civil action without prepaying the full $402 filing fee. To apply for in forma pauperis status, the inmate must submit all three of the following documents to the Court:
(1) a completed Application to Proceed in Forma Pauperis for Inmate, this Court's approved form (i.e. pages 1 through 3 with the inmate's two signatures on page 3),
(2) a Financial Certificate properly signed by both the inmate and a prison or jail official (i.e. page 4 of this Court's approved form), and
(3) a copy of the inmate's prison or jail trust fund account statement for the previous six-month period.
The Court will grant Williams a one-time opportunity to file a fully complete application to proceed in forma pauperis containing all three of the required documents, or in the alternative, pay the full $402 filing fee for this action on or before Friday, September 29, 2023. Absent unusual circumstances, the Court will not grant any further extensions of time.
If Williams is unable to file a fully complete application to proceed in forma pauperis with all three required documents or pay the full $402 filing fee on or before Friday, September 29, 2023, this case will be subject to dismissal without prejudice for Williams to file a new case with the Court when Williams is either able to acquire all three of the documents needed to file a fully complete application to proceed in forma pauperis or pays the full $402 filing fee.
A dismissal without prejudice means Williams does not give up the right to refile the case with the Court, under a new case number, when Williams has all three documents needed to submit with an application to proceed in forma pauperis. Alternatively, Williams may choose not to file an application to proceed in forma pauperis and instead pay the full filing fee of $402 on or before Friday, September 29, 2023 to proceed with this case.
The Court will retain Williams's complaint (ECF No. 1-1), but the Court will not file the complaint unless and until Williams timely files a fully complete application to proceed in forma pauperis with all three documents or pays the full $402 filing fee.
II. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, IT IS ORDERED that Williams's application to proceed in forma pauperis, (ECF No. 1), is DENIED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court will SEND Williams the approved form application to proceed in forma pauperis by an inmate, as well as the document entitled information and instructions for filing an in forma pauperis application.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that on or before Friday, September 29, 2023, Williams will either pay the full $402 filing fee for a civil action (which includes the $350 filing fee and the $52 administrative fee) or file with the Court:
(1) a completed Application to Proceed in Forma Pauperis for Inmate on thisCourt's approved form (i.e. pages 1 through 3 of the form with the inmate's two
signatures on page 3),
(2) a Financial Certificate properly signed by both the inmate and a prison or jail official (i.e. page 4 of this Court's approved form), and
(3) a copy of the inmate's prison or jail trust fund account statement for the previous six-month period.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, if Williams does not file a fully complete application to proceed in forma pauperis with all three documents or pay the full $402 filing fee for a civil action on or before Friday, September 29, 2023, this case will be subject to dismissal without prejudice for Williams to refile the case with the Court, under a new case number, when Williams has all three documents needed to file a complete application to proceed in forma pauperis or pays the full $402 filing fee.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court will retain the complaint (ECF No. 1-1) but will not file it at this time.
IT IS SO ORDERED.