Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01714/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01714-0/pdf.json

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

---

1

3:17-cv-1714-JLS-PCL

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

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DENO WOODIS,

CDCR #AZ-2648

Plaintiff,

v.

BONNIE DUMUIS; JOHN DUFFY; 

MARSHA DUGGAN; STATE OF 

CALIFORNIA,

Defendants.

Case No.: 3:17-cv-1714-JLS-PCL

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 

AND DISMISSING ACTION 

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Plaintiff Deno Woodis, currently housed at the Vista Detention Facility located in 

Vista, California, and proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights complaint (“Compl.”) 

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (ECF No. 1). Plaintiff has not prepaid the civil filing fee 

required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a); instead, he has filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma 

Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) (ECF No. 2).

I. Motion to Proceed IFP

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 a plaintiff’s failure to prepay 

Case 3:17-cv-01714-JLS-PCL Document 3 Filed 08/29/17 PageID.<pageID> Page 1 of 3
2

3:17-cv-1714-JLS-PCL

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

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 

prisoner at the time of filing, he may be granted leave to proceed IFP, but he nevertheless 

remains obligated to pay the entire fee in “increments,” see 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.

In order to comply with the PLRA, prisoners seeking leave to proceed IFP must also 

submit a “certified copy of the[ir] 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 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), (4); Taylor, 281 F.3d 

at 850. Thereafter, the institution having custody of the prisoner 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). 

While Plaintiff has filed a Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), 

he has not attached a certified copy of his trust account statements, or an institutional 

equivalent, for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of his Complaint. See

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2); S.D. Cal. CivLR 3.2. Section 1915(a)(2) requires that prisoners 

“seeking to bring a civil action . . . without prepayment of fees . . . shall submit a certified 

copy of the 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) 

Case 3:17-cv-01714-JLS-PCL Document 3 Filed 08/29/17 PageID.<pageID> Page 2 of 3
3

3:17-cv-1714-JLS-PCL

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

(emphasis added). 

Without Plaintiff’s current trust account statement reflecting the 6-month period 

immediately preceding the filing of this action, the Court is simply unable to assess the 

appropriate amount of the initial filing fee which is statutorily required to initiate the 

prosecution of this action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1).

II. Conclusion and Order

For these reasons, IT IS ORDERED that:

(1) Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP (ECF No. 2) is DENIED and the action is 

DISMISSED without prejudice for failure to prepay the $400 filing fee required by 28 

U.S.C. § 1914(a).

(2) Plaintiff is GRANTED forty-five (45) days from the date of this Order in 

which to re-open his case by either: (1) paying the entire $400 statutory and administrative 

filing fee, or (2) filing a new 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 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) and S.D. Cal. CivLR 3.2(b). 

(3) The Clerk of the Court is DIRECTED to provide Plaintiff with a Courtapproved form “Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed IFP” in this 

matter. If Plaintiff neither pays the $400 filing fee in full nor sufficiently completes and 

files the attached Motion to Proceed IFP, together with a certified copy of his trust account 

statement within 45 days, this action will remained dismissed without prejudice pursuant 

to 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a), and without further Order of the Court.

Dated: August 29, 2017

Case 3:17-cv-01714-JLS-PCL Document 3 Filed 08/29/17 PageID.<pageID> Page 3 of 3