Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00376/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00376-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BENJAMIN JUSTIN BROWNLEE,

Plaintiff,

v.

J. BURNES, et al.,

Defendants.

1:23-cv-00376-HBK (PC)

ORDER GRANTING APPLICATION TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS

(Doc. No. 2)

ORDER DIRECTING PAYMENT

OF INMATE FILING FEE BY THE 

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF 

CORRECTIONS

ORDER DENYING DUPLICATIVE 

MOTIONS AS MOOT

(Doc. Nos. 8, 9)

Plaintiff—a prisoner—initiated this action on March 3, 2023, by filing a pro se civil rights 

complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Doc. No. 1, Complaint). Plaintiff seeks leave to 

proceed in forma pauperis on his Complaint and submitted a copy of his prison trust fund 

statement in support. (Doc. Nos. 2, 4).1 Plaintiff has made the showing required by § 1915(a) to 

proceed in forma pauperis but remains obligated to pay the full statutory filing fee of $350.00 for 

this action. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). Pursuant to § 1915(b)(1)(A), Plaintiff is obligated to

make an initial payment of $110.002(20% of the average 6-month deposits to the prisoner’s 

1 Plaintiff also filed duplicative motions to proceed in forma pauperis on April 14, 2023. (Doc. Nos. 8, 9). 

The granting of the instant motion moots these later filed motions. 

2 The statute requires an initial filing fee of 20% of the greater of the six-months average monthly deposits 

or average monthly balance. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1)(A), (B). Plaintiff had over $3327.75 in deposits over 

Case 1:23-cv-00376-JLT-HBK Document 10 Filed 04/19/23 Page 1 of 2
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account). Thereafter, Plaintiff must make monthly payments of 20% of the preceding month’s 

income credited to his trust account. The California Department of Corrections is required to 

send as an initial payment of the lesser of $110.00 or the remaining balance in Plaintiff’s inmate 

trust fund account, to the Clerk of the Court and subsequent payments from Plaintiff’s account 

each time the amount in her account exceeds $10.00, until the statutory filing fee is paid in full. 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

ACCORDINGLY, it is ORDERED:

1. Plaintiff's motion to proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. No. 2) is GRANTED.

2. The Secretary of the California Department of Corrections, or his designee shall 

forward an initial payment of the lesser amount of $110.00 or the balance in Plaintiff’s 

inmate trust fund account, to the Clerk of the Court in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(b)(1)(A) and shall make future monthly payments in an amount equal to twenty 

percent (20%) of the preceding month’s income credited to the Plaintiff’s trust account each 

time the amount in the account exceeds $10.00, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2), 

until a total of $350.00 has been collected and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court. 

3. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order and a copy of Plaintiff’s 

in forma pauperis application on the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections, via 

the court’s electronic case filing system (CM/ECF).

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order on the Financial 

Department, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.

5. Plaintiff’s motions to proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. Nos. 8, 9) are MOOT.

Dated: April 19, 2023 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

the relevant six-month period. (See Doc. No. 4). The Court did not include the $7,000.00 direct 

restitution payment when calculating the six-month total deposits. 

Case 1:23-cv-00376-JLT-HBK Document 10 Filed 04/19/23 Page 2 of 2