Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00530/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00530-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 05:552 Freedom of Information Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MARLIN PENN, 

CDCR #D-83659, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE; 

BUREAU OF A.T.F&E, 

Defendants. 

Civil No. 13cv0530 BEN (RBB) 

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) 

Marlin Penn ("Plaintiff'), currently incarcerated at Calipatria State Prison located in 

Calipatria, California, and proceeding pro se, has filed a civil action entitled "Request for 

Firearm Trace Data System Records pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)." (ECF No.1.) 

I. Failure to Pay Filing Fee or Request IFP Status 

All parties instituting any civil action, suit or proceeding in any district court of the 

United States, except an application for writ ofhabeas corpus, must pay a filing fee of$350. See 

28 U.S.C. § 1914(a). An action may proceed despite a party's failure to pay this filing fee only 

if the party is granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis ("IFP") pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(a). See Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1051 (9th Cillo 2007); Rodriguez v. Cook, 

169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). 

-1- 13cv0530 BEN (RBB) 

Case 3:13-cv-00530-BEN-RBB Document 2 Filed 03/22/13 Page 1 of 2
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Plaintiff has not prepaid the $350 filing fee required to commence a ~i;vil action, nor has , . 

he submitted a Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). Therefore, th~ action 

cannot yet proceed. Id. 

II. 	 Conclusion and Order 

F or the reasons set forth above, the Court hereby: 

(1) DISMISSES this action sua sponte without prejudice for failing to pay the $350 

filing fee or file 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 $350 civil filing 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 ofhis Complaint. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2); S.D. CAL. elv. L.R. 3.2(bV 

IT IS FURTHERORDERED that the Clerk ofthe Court shall provide Plaintiff with this 

Court's approved form "Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed In Forma 

Pauperis." IfPlaintiff fails to either prepay the $350 civil filing fee or complete and submit the 

enclosed Motion to Proceed IFP within that time, this action shall remain dismissed without 

prejudice and without further Order ofthe Court. 

DATED: --~~~~~~~---

. ROGER T. BENITEZ 

United States District Judge 

I Plaintiff is cautioned that ifhe chooses to proceed further with this action either by paying the 

full civil filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a), or moving to proceed IFP, his Complaint will be 

screened and may be dismissed sua sponte and regardless ofhis fee status ifthe Court finds it frivolous 

or malicious, ifit fails to state a claim, or ifhe seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b) and 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(b). See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 

1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc) (noting that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) "not only permits but requires" the 

court to sua sponte dismiss an in forma pauperis complaint that fails to state a claim); see also Rhodes 

v. Robinson, 621 F .3d 1002, 1004 (9th Cir. 2010) (discussing sua sponte screening required by 28 U. S. C. 

§ 1915A(b) of all prisoner complaints). 

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