Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-akd-3_23-cv-00221/USCOURTS-akd-3_23-cv-00221-0/pdf.json

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

---

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA

ROBERT CUNNINGHAM,

Plaintiff,

v.

GOVERNOR MIKE DUNLEAVY, et al., 

Defendants.

Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK

STANDING ORDER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS CASES 

FILED BY SELF-REPRESENTED PRISONERS

The Clerk has received filings from self-represented prisoner Robert 

Cunningham that have been docketed and assigned a case number in the Case 

Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system, as set forth above. 

Docketed items are the official court record. As required by federal law, the Court 

will review the filing and issue a Screening Order that will indicate whether this 

case may proceed in the federal district court. Please note: It can take anywhere 

from a few weeks to a few months for the Court to issue a Screening Order, 

depending on how many cases are filed with the Court at any given time. 

Typically, cases are reviewed in the order in which they are received by the 

Court. 

This order is intended to provide general information about civil litigation to 

self-represented prisoners. It is not a substitute for legal advice from an attorney. 

While the Court may act with leniency towards a self-represented litigant, attorneys 

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 1 of 6
Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK, Cunningham v. Dunleavy, et al.

Standing Order for Self-Represented Prisoners

Page 2 of 6

and self-represented litigants are expected to follow the same rules and 

procedures.

1 Until a Screening Order has been issued, the Court discourages the 

filing of any motions or additional documents with the Court. The Court cautions 

that filing unnecessary motions or other documents or attempts to serve other 

parties without guidance from the Court, may result in the summary denial of 

motions, orders prohibiting such filings, or delay in the litigation.

Federal law requires a court to screen complaints brought by prisoners 

seeking relief against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a 

governmental entity, even if the filing fee has been paid. The screening laws, 28 

U.S.C. §§ 1915, 1915A, provide that a complaint must be dismissed if the action 

is: 

- frivolous or malicious;

- fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or 

- seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 

If the Court finds your filing deficient, the Court may provide a statement of 

the deficiencies and guidance on to how to fix them and give you an opportunity to 

file an amended complaint. However, if the Court finds that the deficiencies cannot 

1

 Motoyama v. Hawaii, Dept. of Transp., 864 F. Supp. 2d 965, 976 (2012); see also King v. Atiyeh, 

814 F.2d 565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987), overruled on other grounds by Lacey v. Maricopa Cty., 693 F.3d 

896 (9th Cir. 2012) (establishing self-represented litigants are bound by the same procedural rules 

as represented parties).

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 2 of 6
Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK, Cunningham v. Dunleavy, et al.

Standing Order for Self-Represented Prisoners

Page 3 of 6

be fixed, the Court may dismiss the case without any further notice to you, or it 

may give you an opportunity to voluntarily withdraw your complaint.

2

Please note, federal law3requires that self-represented prisoners receive a 

“strike” if the case is dismissed “as frivolous or malicious or for failure to state a 

claim upon which relief may be granted.”4 Prisoners who receive three or more 

strikes cannot bring any other actions without prepaying the full filing fee unless 

the prisoner can demonstrate that he or she is in “imminent danger of serious 

physical injury.”5

If the Court finds that plausible claims exist in the complaint, then the case 

can proceed to the next stage of litigation. The Court will then issue an Order 

Directing Service and Response that will explain the requirements of completing 

service of a Court-issued summons and copy of the complaint on each opposing 

party. The complaint must not be served on any opposing party until the Court so 

orders. All service must be completed in compliance with Rule 4 of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure. 

2

 Hartmann v. California Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., 707 F.3d 1114, 1130 (9th Cir. 2013) (“A district 

court may deny leave to amend when amendment would be futile.”).

3

 28 U.S.C.A. § 1915(g).

4

 A voluntary dismissal does not count as a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g).

5

 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). See also Lomax v. Ortiz-Marquez, et al. 590 U.S. ___, 140 S. Ct. 172 

(2020) (holding that regardless of whether the dismissal is with prejudice or without prejudice, the 

dismissal of a prisoner’s civil lawsuit, for failure to state a claim, counts as a strike under the 

PLRA’s three-strikes rule for IFP status).

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 3 of 6
Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK, Cunningham v. Dunleavy, et al.

Standing Order for Self-Represented Prisoners

Page 4 of 6

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED:

1. Self-represented litigants are expected to review and comply with the 

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Civil Rules, and all Court orders.

6

 

Failure to do so may result in the imposition of sanctions authorized by law, 

including dismissal of this action.

2. Self-represented litigants must be ready to diligently pursue the case 

to completion. Missing a deadline or otherwise failing to pursue a case may result 

in the dismissal of this action.

3. At all times, all parties shall keep the Court informed of any change of 

address or phone number. Such notice shall be titled “Notice of Change of 

Address.” The Notice shall contain only information about the change of address, 

and its effective date.7 The Notice shall not include requests for any other relief. 

A Notice of Change of Address form, PS23, may be obtained from the Clerk of 

Court, if needed. If a plaintiff fails to keep a current address on file with the Court, 

that may result in a dismissal of the case without further notice.

4. If Plaintiff is released while this case remains pending and the filing 

fee has not been paid in full, Plaintiff must, within 30 days of his release, either 

6

 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rulespractice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure; Court’s Local Rules: https://www.akd.uscourts. 

gov/court-info/local-rules-and-orders/local-rules.

7

 See Local Civil Rule 11.1(b) (requiring a notice of change of address to be filed, as “[s]elfrepresented parties must keep the court and other parties advised of the party’s current address 

and telephone number.”). 

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 4 of 6
Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK, Cunningham v. Dunleavy, et al.

Standing Order for Self-Represented Prisoners

Page 5 of 6

(1) pay the unpaid balance of his filing fee or (2) file a Non-Prisoner Application to 

Waive the Filing Fee (Form PS11).

8 Failure to comply may result in dismissal of 

this action.

5. When the Court receives a filing from a self-represented litigant, the 

Clerk’s Office will mail to you a Notice of Electronic Filing (“NEF”) that indicates 

when the document was filed and the docket number of the document in the 

electronic case file for the case. 

6. All litigants are responsible for keeping copies of everything filed with 

the Court. As a courtesy, the Clerk’s Office will keep original filings from Selfrepresented litigants, including exhibits, for 180 days from the date the document 

was filed. However, litigants should not send important original documents or 

documents that cannot be replaced to the Court. If an original must be returned, 

a Motion for Return of Document should be filed as soon as possible.

7. Copies of documents filed with the Court may be obtained from the 

Clerk’s Office for 50 cents per page. Litigants and members of the public may also 

print information from the Court’s docket using the public computer terminal 

located in the Clerk’s Office for 10 cents per page. In the event of special 

circumstances or serious financial need, a litigant may file a motion asking for the 

copying costs to be waived or reduced. Litigants may also set up an account for 

8

 The Court’s template forms are available upon request from the Clerk’s office and on the Court’s 

website at https://www.akd.uscourts.gov/forms.

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 5 of 6
Case No. 3:23-cv-00221-JMK, Cunningham v. Dunleavy, et al.

Standing Order for Self-Represented Prisoners

Page 6 of 6

online access to electronic records through the Public Access to Court Electronic 

Records (PACER) service.

8. All case-related inquiries should be directed to the Clerk’s Office. It is 

not permissible to write, telephone, or otherwise try to directly communicate with 

the judge assigned to your case. You may contact the Clerk’s Office for questions 

regarding Court procedures or assistance accessing legal forms and resources. 

Please note that Clerk’s Office staff are prohibited by law from providing legal 

advice.

9. The Clerk of Court is directed to send the District Court’s handbook, 

“REPRESENTING YOURSELF IN ALASKA’S FEDERAL COURT” with this order.

DATED this 26th day of October, 2023, at Anchorage, Alaska.

/s/ Joshua M. Kindred

JOSHUA M. KINDRED

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:23-cv-00221-SLG Document 5 Filed 10/26/23 Page 6 of 6