Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01460/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01460-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 540
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Mandamus and Other
Cause of Action: 28:1361 Petition for Writ of Mandamus

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17-CV-1460 JLS (WVG)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FREDERICK BANKS,

Plaintiff,

v.

SONG, et al.,

 Defendants.

Case No.: 17-CV-1460 JLS (WVG)

ORDER DISMISSING CIVIL 

ACTION WITHOUT PREJUDICE

FOR FAILING TO PAY FILING FEE 

REQUIRED BY 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) 

AND/OR FAILING TO MOVE TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 

PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)

(ECF No. 4)

Plaintiff Frederick Banks, proceeding pro se, has filed an amended Complaint. (ECF

No. 4.) Plaintiff has not prepaid the civil filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); 

instead, filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(a). (ECF No. 2.) The Court previously screened Plaintiff’s Petition, pursuant to 

28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2) & 1915A(b), and determined that Plaintiff fails to state a claim on 

which relief may be granted. (ECF No. 3.) The Court also denied Plaintiff’s Motion to 

Proceed IFP. Plaintiff filed an amended Complaint, (ECF No. 4), but did not refile his 

Motion to Proceed IFP.

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17-CV-1460 JLS (WVG)

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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). An action may proceed despite the 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). However, if the 

plaintiff is a prisoner1and he is granted leave to proceed IFP, he nevertheless remains 

obligated to pay the entire fee in “increments,” Williams v. Paramo, 775 F.3d 1182, 1185 

(9th Cir. 2015), regardless of whether his action 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.

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

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

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

preceding the filing of the complaint.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2); Andrews v. King, 398 F.3d 

1113, 1119 (9th Cir. 2005). From the certified trust account statement, the Court assesses 

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); Taylor, 

281 F.3d at 850. The institution having custody of the prisoner then collects subsequent 

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

prisoner’s account exceeds $10, and forwards them to the Court until the entire filing fee 

is paid. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). 

 

1 Plaintiff filed a notice of change of address, (ECF No. 5), and it appears he is currently incarcerated in 

the Mahoning County Jail.

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17-CV-1460 JLS (WVG)

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Plaintiff has not prepaid the $400 in filing and administrative fees required to 

commence this civil action, nor has he submitted a properly supported Motion to Proceed 

IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Therefore, his case cannot yet proceed. See 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1914(a); Andrews, 493 F.3d at 1051.

For the reasons set forth above, the Court hereby:

(1) DISMISSES this action sua sponte without prejudice for 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); and

(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 includes a certified copy of his trust account statement 

for the 6-month period preceding the filing of his Complaint. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2); 

S.D. Cal. Civil Local Rule 3.2(b).

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall provide Plaintiff 

with this Court’s approved form “Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed 

In Forma Pauperis.” If Plaintiff fails to either prepay the $400 civil filing fee or complete 

and submit the enclosed Motion to Proceed IFP within forty-five (45) days, this action will 

remain dismissed without prejudice based on Plaintiff’s failure to satisfy 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1914(a)’s fee requirements and without further Order of the Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 31, 2018

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