Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-cv-01686/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-cv-01686-0/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

JDDL

WO KM

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Christopher Roy Bowers, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Duane Belcher, et al., 

Defendants. 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. CV 09-1686-PHX-RCB (MHB)

ORDER

Plaintiff Christopher Roy Bowers, who is confined in the Arizona State Prison in

Picacho, Arizona, filed a pro se civil rights Complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and an

Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. On September 18, 2009, the Court denied the

Application to Proceed with leave to re-file. On November 4, 2009, Plaintiff filed a “Motion

for 30-day Continuance to Proceed and Submit Forma Pauperis Application” (Doc. #7) and

lodged a new Application to Proceed. The Court will grant the Motion for Continuance,

direct the Clerk of Court to file the new Application to Proceed, and deny the new

Application to Proceed. Plaintiff will be granted a final 30 days to file a complete

Application to Proceed and certified six-month trust account statement.

I. Motion for Continuance

In his Motion for Continuance, Plaintiff states that because he was transferred to a

new facility, he did not receive the Court’s September 18th Order until after the deadline for

Case 2:09-cv-01686-RCB--MHB Document 11 Filed 12/08/09 Page 1 of 4
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

JDDL - 2 -

filing a new Application to Proceed had passed. The Court will grant Plaintiff’s Motion for

Continuance, will accept the lodged Application to Proceed as timely filed, and will direct

the Clerk of Court to file the lodged Application to Proceed. 

In his Motion for Continuance, Plaintiff also states that he wishes to amend his

original Complaint. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide that “[a] party may

amend its pleading once as a matter of course . . .before being served with a responsive

pleading.” As Defendants have not yet been served, Plaintiff may file an amended

complaint. Plaintiff should note that the Court will not screen an amended complaint until

Plaintiff has complied with the requirements for proceeding in forma pauperis or has paid

the filing fee.

II. Payment of Filing Fee

When bringing an action, a prisoner must either pay the $350.00 filing fee in a lump

sum or, if granted the privilege of proceeding in forma pauperis, pay the fee incrementally

as set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). An application to proceed in forma pauperis requires

an affidavit of indigence and a certified copy of the inmate’s trust account statement for the

six months preceding the filing of the Complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). An inmate must

submit statements from each institution where he was confined during the six-month period.

Id. To assist prisoners in meeting these requirements, the Court requires use of a form

application. LRCiv 3.4(a).

If a prisoner is granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis, the Court will assess an

initial partial filing fee of 20% of either the average monthly deposits or the average monthly

balance in Plaintiff’s account, whichever is greater. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). An initial

partial filing fee will only be collected when funds exist. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4). The

balance of the fee will be collected in monthly payments of 20% of the preceding month’s

income credited to an inmate’s account, each time the amount in the account exceeds $10.00.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). 

Case 2:09-cv-01686-RCB--MHB Document 11 Filed 12/08/09 Page 2 of 4
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

JDDL - 3 -

III. Application Fails to Comply With Statute

Plaintiff has used the court-approved form to file his new Application, but he has not

submitted a certified six-month trust account statement. In light of this deficiency, Plaintiff

will be permitted 30 days to either pay the $350.00 filing fee or file a complete Application

to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and certified six-month trust account statement.

Although Plaintiff attached a printout of his Arizona Department of Corrections

(“ADOC”) inmate bank account statement to his Application to Proceed, the printout is not

certified by an authorized officer of the institution and does not show deposits and average

monthly balances, as required. ADOC has notified the Court that a certified trust fund

account statement showing deposits and average monthly balances is available from the

ADOC’s Central Office. Accordingly, Plaintiff must obtain the certified copy of his ADOC

trust fund account statement for the six months immediately preceding the filing of the

Complaint from the ADOC’s Central Office.

IV. Warnings

A. Address Changes

Plaintiff must file and serve a notice of a change of address in accordance with Rule

83.3(d) of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiff must not include a motion for other

relief with a notice of change of address. Failure to comply may result in dismissal of this

action.

B. Copies

Plaintiff must submit an additional copy of every filing for use by the Court. See

LRCiv 5.4. Failure to comply may result in the filing being stricken without further notice

to Plaintiff.

C. Possible Dismissal

If Plaintiff fails to timely comply with every provision of this Order, including these

warnings, the Court may dismiss this action without further notice. See Ferdik v. Bonzelet,

963 F.2d 1258, 1260-61 (9th Cir. 1992) (a district court may dismiss an action for failure to

comply with any order of the Court).

Case 2:09-cv-01686-RCB--MHB Document 11 Filed 12/08/09 Page 3 of 4
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

JDDL - 4 -

IT IS ORDERED:

(1) Plaintiff’s November 4, 2009 Motion for Continuance (Doc. #7) is granted.

The Court will accept Plaintiff’s November 4, 2009 Application to Proceed In Forma

Pauperis as timely filed.

(2) The Clerk of Court must file Plaintiff’s November 4, 2009 Application to

Proceed In Forma Pauperis (lodged as Doc. #8).

(3) Plaintiff’s November 4, 2009 Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis

(lodged as Doc. #8) is denied without prejudice.

(4) Within 30 days of the date this Order is filed, Plaintiff must either pay the

$350.00 filing fee or file a completed Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis and a

certified six-month trust account statement from the ADOC’s Central Office. 

(5) If Plaintiff fails to either pay the $350.00 filing fee or file a completed

Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis within 30 days, the Clerk of Court must enter a

judgment of dismissal of this action without prejudice and without further notice to Plaintiff.

(6) The Clerk of the Court must mail Plaintiff a court-approved form for filing

an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Non-Habeas).

Dated this 7th day of December, 2009.

 

Case 2:09-cv-01686-RCB--MHB Document 11 Filed 12/08/09 Page 4 of 4