Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00935/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00935-3/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT MEDINA, JR.

Plaintiff,

v.

GUSTAVO MARTINEZ, et al.

Defendants.

1:23-cv-00935-EPG (PC)

ORDER GRANTING IFP APPLICATION

(ECF No. 11). 

ORDER DIRECTING PAYMENT

OF INMATE FILING FEE BY THE 

FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF

Plaintiff is confined at the Fresno County Jail and is proceeding pro se in this civil action. 

Plaintiff has not paid the filing fee but has submitted an application to proceed in forma pauperis

(IFP) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915. (ECF No. 2). However, the IFP application was not fully 

completed. Specifically, the portion of the IFP form, requiring an officer at the place of Plaintiff’s 

incarceration to certify Plaintiff’s account balance and to provide a certified copy of the trust 

account statement showing transactions for the past six months, had not been completed. (Id. at

2). Accordingly, the Court ordered Plaintiff to file a completed application. (ECF No. 4).

On August 4, 2023, Plaintiff filed a new IFP application. (ECF No. 9). However, it 

suffered the same defect as his prior application—the portion of the IFP form, requiring an officer 

at the place of Plaintiff’s incarceration to certify Plaintiff’s account balance and to provide a 

certified copy of the trust account statement showing transactions for the past six months, had not 

been completed. (ECF No. 9, p. 2). It was not apparent from the record why this portion of the 

form was incomplete, and Plaintiff offered no explanation. Accordingly, the Court ordered 

Plaintiff to file a completed application, and if Plaintiff believed he could not provide that 

Case 1:23-cv-00935-KES-EPG Document 12 Filed 09/14/23 Page 1 of 3
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information, he was directed to file a notice along with his IFP application, explaining the efforts 

he had made to have the appropriate officer at the Jail to provide the required information and the 

Jail’s response. (ECF No. 10).

Now before the Court is Plaintiff’s IFP application filed on September 13, 2023. (ECF 

No. 11). The form represents that Plaintiff has no available funds or assets. At the bottom of the 

form, in the portion for an officer to certify Plaintiff’s account balance and to provide a certified 

copy of the trust account statement showing transactions for the past six months, Plaintiff has 

written, “all 5 of C/Os refuse to si[gn] what now please let me know.” Additionally, Plaintiff has 

attached request forms from the Jail, asking for copies of his trust account statement, with the Jail 

response being the amount in his account—three cents. Upon review, it appears that Plaintiff has 

made sufficient efforts to provide a certified account statement, but the Jail has failed to provide 

it. 

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED as follows:

1. Plaintiff’s September 13, 2023, application to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 

11) is GRANTED;

2. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate as pending Plaintiff’s prior 

applications. (ECF Nos. 2, 9). 

3. The Fresno County Sheriff or his designee shall collect payments from Plaintiff’s 

prison trust account in an amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the preceding 

month’s income credited to the prisoner’s trust account and shall forward those 

payments to the Clerk of the Court each time the amount in the account exceeds 

$10.00, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2), until a total of $350.00 has 

been collected and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court. The payments shall be 

clearly identified by the name and number assigned to this action. 

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order and a copy of 

Plaintiff’s in forma pauperis application (ECF No. 11) on the Fresno County 

Sheriff via CM/ECF.

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5. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order on the Financial 

Department, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 14, 2023 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:23-cv-00935-KES-EPG Document 12 Filed 09/14/23 Page 3 of 3