Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_14-cv-00499/USCOURTS-azd-2_14-cv-00499-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 480
Nature of Suit: Consumer Credit
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Craig P. Goetz, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Carson Smithfield, LLC, 

Defendant. 

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No. CV 14-499-PHX-JAT

ORDER

Pending before the Court is Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis. In

Boersma v. M & I Marshall & Ilsely Bank, 2011 WL 248379 (D. Ariz. 2011), another Judge

in this district discussed in detail the standard for granting in forma pauperis status. That

Court stated:

A plaintiff is permitted to file a civil action in federal court without

prepayment of fees or security if he alleges and demonstrates in an affidavit

that he is unable to pay such fees or give security therefor. Title 28 U.S.C. §

1915(a)(1) provides, in pertinent part:

[A]ny court ... may authorize the commencement, prosecution, or

defense of any suit, action or proceeding, civil or criminal, or appeal

therein, without prepayment of fees or security therefor, by a person

who submits an affidavit that includes a statement of all assets such

[person] possesses that the person is unable to pay such fees or give

security therefor.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

In enacting the in forma pauperis (“IFP”) statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1915, Congress

“intended to guarantee that no citizen shall be denied an opportunity to

commence, prosecute, or defend an action, civil or criminal, in any court of the

Case 2:14-cv-00499-JAT Document 5 Filed 03/26/14 Page 1 of 2
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United States, solely because ... poverty makes it impossible ... to pay or

secure the costs” of litigation. Denton v. Hernandez, 504 U.S. 25, 31, 112 S.Ct.

1728, 118 L.Ed.2d 340 (1992) (quoting Adkins v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours &

Co., 335 U.S. 331, 342, 69 S.Ct. 85, 93 L.Ed. 43 (1948) (internal quotation

marks omitted)). Congress also recognized that “ ‘a litigant whose filing fees

and court costs are assumed by the public, unlike a paying litigant, lacks an

economic incentive to refrain from filing frivolous, malicious, or repetitive

lawsuits.’ ” Id. (quoting Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 324, 109 S.Ct.

1827, 104 L.Ed.2d 338 (1989)). Thus, if the district court grants IFP status, it

must dismiss the case sua sponte if (A) the allegation of poverty is untrue; or

(B) the action or appeal (i) is frivolous or malicious, (ii) it fails to state a claim

upon which relief may be granted; or (iii) it seeks monetary relief against a

defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). The

provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2) are not limited to prisoners. Calhoun v.

Stahl, 254 F.3d 845, 845 (9th Cir.2001); Jones v. Social Sec. Admin., 2007 WL

806628, *1 (E.D.Cal.2007) (“[T]he court is ... required to screen complaints

brought by litigants who have been granted leave to proceed in forma

pauperis.”), affirmed by, 256 Fed.Appx. 68 (9th Cir.2007).

The standard in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1) for IFP eligibility is “unable to pay

such fees or give security therefor.” The determination of what constitutes

“unable to pay” or unable to “give security therefor,” and, therefore, whether

to allow a plaintiff to proceed IFP is left to the sound discretion of the district

court based on the information submitted by the plaintiff. Fridman v. City of

New York, 195 F.Supp.2d 534, 536 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 52 Fed.Appx. 157 (2d

Cir.2002) (citing Williams v. Estelle, 681 F.2d 946, 947 (5th Cir.1982);

Potnick v. Eastern State Hospital, 701 F.2d 243 (2d Cir.1983)[.]

Id. at 1.

In this case, in his application to proceed in forma pauperis, Plaintiff avows that he

supports only himself on an annual income of $30,672. The Court finds this is adequate

income to pay the filing fee. Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis (Doc. 3)

is denied. Plaintiff must pay the filing fee by April 9, 2014. If Plaintiff fails to pay the filing

fee by April 9, 2014, the Clerk of the Court shall, without further order of this Court, enter

judgment dismissing this case, without prejudice.

DATED this 26th day of March, 2014.

Case 2:14-cv-00499-JAT Document 5 Filed 03/26/14 Page 2 of 2