Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03287/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03287-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RANDALL E. ELLIS,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. FRISK, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-03287-SI 

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Re: Dkt. Nos. 4, 9

Plaintiff has filed a "motion to vacate" his complaint. Dkt. No. 9. The court construes the 

motion to be a motion for a voluntary dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a) and 

GRANTS the motion. Dkt. No. 9. This action is DISMISSED without prejudice to plaintiff filing 

a new civil rights action if he ever wants to pursue his claims.

When plaintiff filed his complaint, he filed a motion for leave to proceed in forma 

pauperis; three weeks later, someone paid the filing fee on his behalf. See Dkt. No. 4 and ECF 

docket entry dated August 3, 2015. In his "motion to vacate" his complaint, plaintiff requested the 

return of the filing fee paid on his behalf. A refund is not appropriate because, once the complaint 

was filed, the filing fee obligation was incurred. A filing fee is owed when an action is 

commenced by filing a complaint, and later events do not cause that filing fee obligation to 

disappear. Plaintiff's request for return of the filing fee therefore is DENIED. Dkt. No. 9. 

Plaintiff's in forma pauperis application is DISMISSED as moot because the filing fee has been 

paid. Dkt. No. 4. 

Case 3:15-cv-03287-SI Document 10 Filed 10/14/15 Page 1 of 2
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

Northern District of California

The clerk shall close the file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 14, 2015

________________________

SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge

Case 3:15-cv-03287-SI Document 10 Filed 10/14/15 Page 2 of 2