Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01405/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01405-0/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERNESTO CHAVEZ,

CDCR#P-06885,

Civil No. 07-1405 LAB (CAB)

Plaintiff, ORDER: 

(1) GRANTING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS,

IMPOSING $10.04 INITIAL

PARTIAL FILING FEE,

GARNISHING $339.96 BALANCE

FROM PRISONER’S TRUST

ACCOUNT [Doc. No. 2]; 

AND

(2) DIRECTING U.S. MARSHAL 

TO EFFECT SERVICE PURSUANT

TO FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(2) AND 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(d)

vs.

JASON HANSSON, M.D., LEO

SALDIVAR, M.D., CRAIG KAISER,

M.D.;

Defendants.

 Ernesto Chavez, a state prisoner currently incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan

Correctional Facility (“RJDCF”) located in San Diego, California, and proceeding pro se, has

submitted a civil action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleges that RJDCF have been

deliberately indifferent to his serious mental health needs in violation of his Eighth Amendment

right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. (Compl. at 3.) Plaintiff has also filed a

Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) [Doc. No. 2].

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I. Motion to Proceed IFP [Doc. No. 2]

Effective April 9, 2006, 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 $350. See 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a party’s failure to

prepay the entire fee only if the party 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). Prisoners granted leave

to proceed IFP however, remain obligated to pay the entire fee in installments, regardless of

whether the action is ultimately dismissed for any reason. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) & (2).

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915, as amended by the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”), a

prisoner seeking leave to proceed IFP must submit a “certified copy of the trust fund account

statement (or institutional equivalent) for the prisoner for the six-month period immediately

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

statement, the Court must assess an initial payment of 20% of (a) the average monthly deposits

in the account for the past six months, or (b) the average monthly balance in the account for the

past six months, whichever is greater, unless the prisoner has no assets. See 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(1); 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4). That institution having custody of the prisoner must

collect subsequent payments, assessed at 20% of the preceding month’s income, in any month

in which the prisoner’s account exceeds $10, and forward those payments to the Court until the

entire filing fee is paid. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

The Court finds that Plaintiff has submitted a certified copy of his trust account statement

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and S.D.CAL.CIVLR 3.2. Plaintiff’s trust account statement

shows an average monthly balance and deposits of $50.18 and a current available balance of

$226.18. Based on this financial information, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed

IFP [Doc. No. 2] and assesses an initial partial filing fee of $10.04 pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(1). However, the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and

Rehabilitation (“CDCR”), or his designee, shall collect this initial fee only if sufficient funds in

Plaintiff’s account are available at the time this Order is executed pursuant to the directions set

forth below. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(4) (providing that “[i]n no event shall a prisoner be

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prohibited from bringing a civil action or appealing a civil action or criminal judgment for the

reason that the prisoner has no assets and no means by which to pay the initial partial filing

fee.”); Taylor v. Delatoore, 281 F.3d 844, 850 (9th Cir. 2002) (finding that 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(4) acts as a “safety-valve” preventing dismissal of a prisoner’s IFP case based solely

on a “failure to pay ... due to the lack of funds available to him when payment is ordered.”). The

remaining balance shall be collected and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court pursuant to the

installment payment provisions set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

II. Sua Sponte Screening per 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) and § 1915A

The PLRA also obligates the Court to review complaints filed by all persons proceeding

IFP and by those, like Plaintiff, who are “incarcerated or detained in any facility [and] accused

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

conditions of parole, probation, pretrial release, or diversionary program,” “as soon as

practicable after docketing.” See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). Under these

provisions, the Court must sua sponte dismiss any prisoner and all other IFP complaints, or any

portions thereof, which are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim, or which seek damages

from defendants who are immune. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B) and 1915A; Lopez v. Smith,

203 F.3d 1122, 1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc) (§ 1915(e)(2)); Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d

443, 446 (9th Cir. 2000) (§ 1915A); see also Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194 (9th

Cir. 1998) (discussing § 1915A). “[W]hen determining whether a complaint states a claim, a

court must accept as true all allegations of material fact and must construe those facts in the light

most favorable to the plaintiff.” Resnick, 213 F.3d at 447; Barren, 152 F.3d at 1194 (noting that

§ 1915(e)(2) “parallels the language of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)”). 

Here, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s Complaint survives the sua sponte screening required

by 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) and 1915A(b). Accordingly, Plaintiff is entitled to U.S. Marshal

service on his behalf. Lopez, 203 F.3d at 1126-27; 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d) (“The officers of the

court shall issue and serve all process, and perform all duties in [IFP] cases.”); FED.R.CIV.P.

4(c)(2) (providing that “service be effected by a United States marshal, deputy United States

marshal, or other officer specially appointed by the court ... when the plaintiff is authorized to

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proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915.”). 

III. Conclusion and Order

Good cause appearing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) [Doc. No. 2]

is GRANTED.

2. The Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

(“CDCR”), or his designee, is ordered to collect the $10.04 initial partial filing fee assessed

by this Order and forward that amount to the Clerk of Court, if those funds are available at

the time this Order is executed. THE INITIAL PARTIAL FILING FEE SHALL BE CLEARLY

IDENTIFIED BY THE NAME AND NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THIS ACTION.

3. The Secretary of the CDCR, or his designee, is ordered to collect from Plaintiff’s

prison trust account the $339.96 balance of the filing fee owed in this case by collecting monthly

payments from Plaintiff’s prison trust account in an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of

the preceding month’s income credited to the account and forward payments to the Clerk of the

Court each time the amount in the account exceeds $10 in accordance with 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(2). ALL MONTHLY PAYMENTS SHALL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED BY THAT

NAME AND NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THIS ACTION.

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this Order on James E. Tilton,

Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 1515 S Street, Suite 502,

Sacramento, California 95814.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that:

5. The Clerk shall issue a summons for Defendants, provide Plaintiff with a certified

copy of both this Order and his Complaint [Doc. No. 1], and forward them to Plaintiff along with

a blank U.S. Marshal Form 285 for each of these Defendants. Plaintiff shall complete the Form

285s and forward them to the United States Marshal within a reasonable amount of time such

that the U.S. Marshal can timely serve the Defendants within the 120 days provided by

FED.R.CIV.P. 4(m). The U.S. Marshal shall, after receiving Plaintiff’s completed Form 285s,

serve a copy of the Complaint, its Exhibits and summons upon Defendants as directed by

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Plaintiff on each U.S. Marshal Form 285. All costs of service shall be advanced by the United

States. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d); FED.R.CIV.P. 4(c)(2).

6. Plaintiff shall serve upon Defendants or, if appearance has been entered by

counsel, upon Defendants’ counsel, a copy of every further pleading or other document

submitted for consideration of the Court. Plaintiff shall include with the original paper to be

filed with the Clerk of the Court a certificate stating the manner in which a true and correct copy

of any document was served on Defendants, or counsel for Defendants, and the date of service.

Any paper received by the Court which has not been filed with the Clerk or which fails

to include a Certificate of Service will be disregarded.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 31, 2007

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

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