Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-00574/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-00574-0/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERIC MEYER,

Plaintiff,

vs.

MANY, et al.

Defendants.

Case No.: 3:19-cv-0574-GPC-AGS

ORDER DISMISSING CIVIL 

ACTION FOR FAILING TO 

PREPAY FILING FEES REQUIRED 

BY 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a)

ERIC MEYER (“Plaintiff”), a psychiatric patient at Chicago Read Mental Health 

Center in Chicago, Illinois, and proceeding pro se, has filed this civil action using a form

complaint pursuant to the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (See Compl., ECF No. 1.)

Plaintiff did not prepay the civil filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) at the 

time he submitted his Complaint, nor has he filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis

(“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). 

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I. Failure to Pay Filing Fee or Request IFP Status

All parties instituting any civil action, suit or proceeding in a district court of the 

United States, except an application for writ of habeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of 

$400. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a).1 An action may proceed despite a plaintiff’s failure to 

prepay the entire fee only if he is granted leave to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(a). See Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). Section 1915(a)(2) 

requires all persons seeking to proceed without full prepayment of fees to file an affidavit 

that includes a statement of all assets possessed and demonstrates an inability to pay. See 

Escobedo v. Applebees, 787 F.3d 1226, 1234 (9th Cir. 2015).

It is unclear whether Plaintiff is a “prisoner” as defined by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(h), but 

if he is, he is further cautioned that he even if he files an IFP Motion and affidavit in 

compliance with § 1915(a)(2), he will nevertheless remain obligated to pay the entire fee 

in “increments,” see Williams v. Paramo, 775 F.3d 1182, 1185 (9th Cir. 2015), regardless 

of whether his case is ultimately dismissed. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) & (2); Taylor v. 

Delatoore, 281 F.3d 844, 847 (9th Cir. 2002). A “prisoner” is defined as “any person” who 

at the time of filing is “incarcerated or detained in any facility who is accused of, convicted 

of, sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for, violations of criminal law or the terms or 

conditions of parole, probation, pretrial release, or diversionary program.” 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(h); Taylor, 281 F.3d at 847.

If Plaintiff is a prisoner, he must also submit a “certified copy of [his] trust fund 

account statement (or institutional equivalent) . . . for the 6-month period immediately 

preceding the filing of the complaint.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). From the certified trust 

account statement, the Court will assess an initial payment of 20% of (a) the average 

 

1 In addition to the $350 statutory fee, civil litigants must pay an additional administrative 

fee of $50. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) (Judicial Conference Schedule of Fees, District Court 

Misc. Fee Schedule, § 14 (eff. June. 1, 2016). The additional $50 administrative fee does 

not apply to persons granted leave to proceed IFP. Id.

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monthly deposits in Plaintiff’s account for the past six months, or (b) the average monthly 

balance in the account for the past six months, whichever is greater, unless he has no assets. 

See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), (4); Taylor, 281 F.3d at 850. After, the Court will direct the 

institution having custody to collect subsequent payments, assessed at 20% of the 

preceding month’s income, in any month in which his account exceeds $10, and forward

them to the Court until the entire filing fee is paid. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). 

Because Plaintiff has neither paid the filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) to 

commence a civil action, nor filed a properly supported Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant 

to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), his case cannot yet proceed. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); Andrews, 

493 F.3d at 1051.

II. Conclusion and Order

Accordingly, the Court:

(1) DISMISSES this civil action without prejudice based on Plaintiff’s failure to 

pay the $400 civil filing and administrative fee or to submit a Motion to Proceed IFP

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914(a) and 1915(a).

(2) GRANTS Plaintiff forty-five (45) days leave from the date this Order is filed 

to: (a) prepay the entire $400 civil filing and administrative fee in full; or (b) complete and 

file a Motion to Proceed IFP which complies with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and S.D. Cal. 

CivLR 3.2(b).

(3) DIRECTS the Clerk of the Court to provide Plaintiff with the Court’s 

approved form “Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed In Forma 

Pauperis.”2 If Plaintiff fails to either prepay the $400 civil filing fee or fully complete and 

 

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 Plaintiff is cautioned that if he chooses to proceed further by submitting a properly 

supported Motion to Proceed IFP, his Complaint will be reviewed before service and may 

be dismissed sua sponte pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), regardless of 

whether he pays the full $400 filing fee at once, or is granted IFP status and is obligated to 

pay the full filing fee in installments. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1126-27 (9th Cir. 

2000) (en banc) (noting that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) “not only permits but requires” the court 

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submit the enclosed Motion to Proceed IFP within 45 days, this action will remain 

dismissed without prejudice based on his failure to satisfy 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a)’s fee 

requirement and without further Order of the Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 8, 2019

 

to sua sponte dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint that is frivolous, malicious, fails to 

state a claim, or seeks damages from defendants who are immune).

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