Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-09-02952/USCOURTS-ca8-09-02952-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 

---

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 09-2952

___________

Michael W. Harlston, Sr., *

*

Appellant, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Eastern District of Missouri.

Office of Personnel Management; *

Merit Systems Protection Board, * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellees. *

___________

Submitted: February 9, 2010

Filed: February 22, 2010 

___________

Before MURPHY, BENTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Michael Harlston appeals from the district court’s preservice dismissal without

prejudice under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b), for failure to comply with a

court order.

When Harlston filed his pro se employment discrimination complaint, he also

petitioned the court for permission to proceed in forma pauperis and filed an

incomplete financial affidavit. The district court ordered Harlston to file a completed

financial affidavit so that the court could determine whether Harlston was financially

Appellate Case: 09-2952 Page: 1 Date Filed: 02/22/2010 Entry ID: 3636403
-2-

unable to pay the filing fee. However, the district court then issued a second order

directing Harlston to submit an amended complaint, and in that order granted Harlston

in forma pauperis status upon determining that Harlston was financially unable to pay

the filing fee. The district court’s second order thus obviated the need for Harlston

to file a completed financial affidavit, yet it appears the district court inadvertently

overlooked that fact when it later dismissed the complaint for noncompliance with the

first order, which we conclude was an abuse of discretion. See Rodgers v. Curators

of Univ. of Mo., 135 F.3d 1216, 1219 (8th Cir. 1998) (standard of review).

Accordingly, we vacate the district court’s order of dismissal and remand the

case for further proceedings.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 09-2952 Page: 2 Date Filed: 02/22/2010 Entry ID: 3636403