Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-00900/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-00900-3/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MARTIN ONTIVEORS, 

CDCR #AM-7636, 

vs. 

P. BEAZA; C. MIETO; R. ARIAS; 

AMY MILLER, 

Civil No. 14cv0900 WQH (PCL) 

Plaintiff, ORDER DENYING MOTION TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 

AND DISMISSING CASE WITHOUT 

PREJUDICE PURSUANT TO 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) 

[ECF Doc. No. 15] 

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Defendants. 

21 Plaintiff, a prisoner currently incarcerated at Centinela State Prison located in Imperial, 

22 California, and proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 

23 § 1983. Plaintiff has not prepaid the filing fee mandated by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); instead, he 

24 has filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis ("IFP") pursuantto 28 U.S.C. § 1915( a) [ECF 

25 Doc. No. 15]. 

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Case 3:14-cv-00900-WQH-PCL Document 16 Filed 04/23/14 Page 1 of 3
I I. MOTION TO PROCEED IFP 

2 All parties instituting any civil action, suit or proceeding in a district court ofthe United 

3 States, except an application for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of $400. 1 See 28 

4 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a party's failure to pay only if the party is 

S granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis ("IFP") pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See 

6 Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, lOS I (9th Cir. 2007); Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 

7 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). "Under the PLRA [Prison Litigation Reform Act], all prisoners who file 

8 IFP civil actions must pay the full amount of the filing fee," regardless of whether the action is 

9 ultimately dismissed for any reason. See Taylorv. Delatoore, 281 F.3d 844,847 (9th Cir. 2002) 

10 (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(l) & (2)). 

11 In order to comply with the PLRA, prisoners seeking leave to proceed IFP must also 

12 submit a "certified copy of the trust fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) for the 

13 prisoner for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing ofthe complaint...." 28 U.S.C. 

14 § 1915(a)(2). From the certified trust account statement, the Court assesses an initial payment 

15 of20% of (a) the average monthly deposits in the account for the past six months, or (b) the 

16 average monthly balance in the account for the past six months, whichever is greater, unless the 

17 prisoner has no assets. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(l), (4); see Taylor, 281 F.3dat850. Thereafter, 

18 the institution having custody of the prisoner must collect subsequent payments, assessed at 20% 

19 of the preceding month's income, in any month in which the prisoner's account exceeds $10, and 

20 forward those payments to the Court until the entire filing fee is paid. See 28 U.S.C. 

21 § 1915(b)(2). 

22 While Plaintiff has filed a Motion to Proceed IFP pursuantto 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), he has 

23 not attached a certified copy of his prison trust account statement for the 6-month period 

24 immediately preceding the filing of his Complaint. See 28 U.S.C. § 19I5(a)(2); S.D. CAL. 

25 ClvLR 3.2. Section 1915(a)(2) clearly mandates that prisoners "seeking to bring a civil action 

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27 lIn addition to the $350 statutory fee, all parties filing civil actions on or after May 1,2013, must 

pay an additional administrative fee of$50. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) (Judicial Conference Schedule of 

28 Fees, District Court Misc. Fee Schedule) (eff. May 1,2013). However, the additional $50 administrative 

fee is waived if the plaintiff is granted leave to proceed IFP. Id. 

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1 ... without prepayment offees ... shall submit a certified copy of the trust fund account statement 

2 (or institutional equivalent) ... for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the 

3 complaint." 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) (emphasis added). 

4 Without Plaintiffs trust account statement, the Court is simply unable to assess the 

5 appropriate amount of the filing fee which is statutorily required to initiate the prosecution of 

6 this action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). 

7 II. CONCLUSION AND ORDER 

8 For the reasons set forth above, IT IS ORDERED that: 

9 (1) Plaintiffs Motion to Proceed IFP [ECF Doc. No. 15] is DENIED and the action 

10 is DISMISSED without prejudice for failure to prepay the $400 filing fee mandated by 28 U.S.C. 

11 § 1914(a). 

12 (2) Plaintiff is GRANTED an additional forty-five (45) days from the date of this 

13 Order to either: (1) pay the entire $400 statutory and administrative filing fee, or (2) file a new 

14 Motion to Proceed IFP, which includes a certified copy of his trust account statement for the 6-

15 monthperiodpreceding thefilingofhis Complaintpursuantto 28 U.S.C. § 1 915(a)(2) and S.D. 

16 CAL. ClvLR 3 .2(b). 

17 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall provide Plaintiff with a 

18 Court-approved form "Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed IFP" in this 

19 matter. If Plaintiff neither pays the $400 filing fee in full nor sufficiently completes and files 

20 the attached Motion to Proceed IFP, together with a certified copy of his trust account statl!-ment 

21 within 45 days, this action shall remained closed without further Order of the Court. 

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DATED: _:L:0:~~7L~~V_ 

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United States District Judge 

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