Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01890/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-01890-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

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

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Riki Rashaad Muhammad, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Arizona Department of Corrections, et al.,

Defendants. 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. CV-11-1890-PHX-SMM (LOA)

ORDER

This matter arises on Plaintiff’s second Motion to Produce Copies and Waive or Defer

Costs. (Doc. 27) Plaintiff filed a nearly identical request on July 30, 2012, doc. 24, which

the Court denied on August 7, 2012, doc. 26. Plaintiff states that he was granted in forma

pauperis, but that the Arizona Department of Corrections did not allow him “indigent”

status, and therefore, he must pay for all copies and postage. He again requests that all

“necessary” copies be produced. (Doc. 27 at 1) And again, he does not specify which

documents he wishes to receive. As stated in the Court’s August 7, 2012 Order, it is the

Court’s practice, and the docket reflects this, that copies of filed documents are being sent

to Plaintiff. 

Title 28 U.S.C. § 1915 (2006) permits a court to allow a plaintiff to file a complaint

without payment of fees or security, under specific circumstances. Section 1915(a)(1) states

that:

Subject to subsection (b), any court of the United States may authorize the

commencement, prosecution or defense of any suit, action or proceeding, civil or

Case 2:11-cv-01890-SMM-JFM Document 28 Filed 09/06/12 Page 1 of 3
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

- 2 -

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 prisoner

possesses [and] that the person is unable to pay such fees or give security therefor.

Such affidavit shall state the nature of the action, defense or appeal and affiant’s

belief that the person is entitled to redress.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1).

Plaintiff’s in forma pauperis status does not exempt him from paying for all court

costs and litigation expenses. If granted in forma pauperis status, 28 U.S.C. § 1915 permits

the waiver of prepayment of filing and service of process fees and costs for in forma pauperis

litigants. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), (d); Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(c)(3); Stewart v. De Paul, 2012 WL

1610075, at *1-2 (S.D. Cal. May 8, 2012) (citing Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177

(9th Cir. 1999)). Aside from the specific costs waived pursuant to § 1915(a) and (d), no other

statute authorizes courts to commit federal monies for payment of the necessary expenses in

a civil suit brought by an indigent litigant. See Valdez v. Linder, 2008 WL 5435896, at *10

(D. Mont. April 25, 2008) (denying motion for copies because “[t]here is no provision in the

statute for the payment by the government of the costs of deposition transcripts, or any other

litigation expenses, and no other statute authorizes courts to commit federal monies for

payment of the necessary expenses in a civil suit brought by an indigent litigant.”) (quoting

Tabron v. Grace, 6 F.3d 147, 159 (3rd Cir. 1993)); see also Moss v. ITT Continental Baking

Co., 83 F.R.D. 624, 625 (E.D. Va. 1979); Haymes v. Smith, 73 F.R.D. 572, 574 (W.D.N.Y.

1976). For example, section 1915 does not authorize the expenditure of public funds for

expert witness or subpoena fees. See, e.g., Tuvalu v. Woodford, 2006 WL 3201096, at *5

(E.D. Cal. November 2, 2006) (citing Boring v. Kozakiewicz, 833 F.2d 468, 474 (3d Cir.

1987) (no provision to pay fees for expert witnesses); Tedder v. Odel, 890 F.2d 210, 211-12

(9th Cir. 1989) (“We join the Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits in finding [that] .

. . section 1915[]” “does not permit a waiver of the witness fees to be tendered with the

subpoena.”) (citations omitted).

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Produce Copies and Waive or Defer

Case 2:11-cv-01890-SMM-JFM Document 28 Filed 09/06/12 Page 2 of 3
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

- 3 -

Costs, doc. 27, is DENIED.

DATED this 5th day of September, 2012. 

Case 2:11-cv-01890-SMM-JFM Document 28 Filed 09/06/12 Page 3 of 3