Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-06083/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-06083-0/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

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JONATHAN LEE RICHES,

Plaintiff,

 v.

VISA U.S.A., INC., et al.,

Defendants. ____________________________________

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No. C 07-6083 MJJ (PR)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

Plaintiff, a federal prisoner proceeding pro se, filed this pro se complaint against Visa

U.S.A., Inc., and Vista International Service Association. 

A federal court must conduct a preliminary screening in any case in which a prisoner seeks

redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. See 28 U.S.C. §

1915A(a). In its review, the court must identify any cognizable claims and dismiss any claims that

are frivolous, malicious, fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted or seek monetary

relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. See id. § 1915A(b)(1),(2). Pro se pleadings

must, however, be liberally construed. See Balistreri v. Pacifica Police Dep't, 901 F.2d 696, 699

(9th Cir. 1988).

Sections 1915A and 1915(e)(2) accord judges the unusual power to pierce the veil of

the complaint's factual allegations and dismiss as frivolous those claims whose factual

contentions are clearly baseless. See Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 32 (1992). 

Examples are claims describing fantastic or delusional scenarios with which federal district

judges are all too familiar. See Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 328 (1989). To pierce the

Case 3:07-cv-06083-MJJ Document 3 Filed 12/19/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\PRO-SE\MJJ\CR.07\riches41.dsm.wpd 2

veil of the complaint's factual allegations means that a court is not bound, as it usually is

when making a determination based solely on the pleadings, to accept without question the

truth of the plaintiff's allegations. See Denton, 504 U.S. at 32. A finding of factual

frivolousness is appropriate when the facts alleged rise to the level of the irrational or the

wholly incredible, whether or not there are judicially noticeable facts available to contradict

them. See id. at 32-33. 

Plaintiff seeks a restraining order against forbidding defendants from “distributing

Visa and Visa debit cards to the Taliban in Afghanistan, which is helping them buy weapons

and knives to fight my friends in the Marines.” Plaintiff alleges, “I’m a James Bond on the

American side. I sleep with the American flag.” He alleges defendants give their “proceeds

to foreign enemies, including the Tamil tigers of Sri Lank, and PKK ground forces.” He

alleges this causes the food budget at his prison to shrink and deprives him of the nutrient

and vitamins he needs to “feed my brain waves.” Plaintiff also alleges “Visa is a

international army of evil cabals and banking tyrants in the San Fran River basin,” and that

defendants subject him “to non-stop torture.” Plaintiff seeks five billion dollars in damages. 

As plaintiff’s allegations are clearly baseless, irrational or wholly incredible, the complaint

will be dismissed as frivolous under sections 1915A and 1915(e)(2). 

For the foregoing reasons, this action is DISMISSED. 

The Clerk shall close the file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: 12/18/07 _____________________________

MARTIN J. JENKINS

United States District Judge

Case 3:07-cv-06083-MJJ Document 3 Filed 12/19/07 Page 2 of 2