Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00204/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00204-0/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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K:\COMMON\EVERYONE\_EFILE-PROSE\LAB\11cv0204-deny-IFP #2.wpd -1- 11cv0204 LAB (WMc)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GERARDO PILLADO, 

CDCR #64533, 

Civil No. 11-0204 LAB (WMc)

Plaintiff,

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS

AND DISMISSING CASE WITHOUT

PREJUDICE PURSUANT TO 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) 

[ECF No. 2]

 vs.

GEORGE NEOTTI, et al.,

Defendants.

 

On January 31, 2011, Plaintiff, a state inmate currently incarcerated at Centinela State

Prison located in Imperial, California filed this action pursuant to § 1983. In addition, Plaintiff

filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP). However, the Court denied Plaintiff’s

Motion to Proceed IFP because he failed to submit a certified copy of his inmate trust fund

account statement as required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). See Feb. 14, 2011 Order at 2. Plaintiff

was granted leave to file a new Motion to Proceed IFP and include a certified copy of his trust

account statement. Id. On March 14, 2011, Plaintiff filed a new Motion to Proceed IFP but once

again, failed to submit a certified copy of his trust account statement [ECF No. 4].

/ / /

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I. MOTION TO PROCEED IFP

As stated in the Court’s previous Order, all parties instituting any civil action, suit or

proceeding in a district court of the United States, except an application for writ of habeas

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 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 Cir.

2007); Rodriguez v. Cook, 169 F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). “Under the PLRA [Prison

Litigation Reform Act], all prisoners who file IFP civil actions must pay the full amount of the

filing fee,” regardless of whether the action is ultimately dismissed for any reason. See Taylor

v. Delatoore, 281 F.3d 844, 847 (9th Cir. 2002) (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1) & (2)).

In order to comply with the PLRA, prisoners seeking leave to proceed IFP must also

submit a “certified copy of the trust fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) for the

prisoner for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint....” 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(a)(2). From the certified trust account statement, the Court assesses an initial payment

of 20% of (a) the average monthly deposits in the account for the past six months, or (b) the

average monthly balance in the account for the past six months, whichever is greater, unless the

prisoner has no assets. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1), (4); see Taylor, 281 F.3d at 850. Thereafter,

the institution having custody of the prisoner must collectsubsequent payments, assessed at 20%

of the preceding month’s income, in any month in which the prisoner’s account exceeds $10, and

forward those payments to the Court until the entire filing fee is paid. See 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(b)(2). 

While Plaintiff has filed a second Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a),

he has not attached a certified copy of his prison trust account statement for the 6-month period

immediately preceding the filing of his Complaint. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2); S.D. CAL.

CIVLR 3.2. Section 1915(a)(2) clearly mandates that prisoners “seeking to bring a civil action

...without prepayment of fees ... shall submit a certified copy of the trust fund account statement

(or institutional equivalent) ... for the 6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the

complaint.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) (emphasis added). 

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Without Plaintiff’s trust account statement, the Court is simply unable to assess the

appropriate amount of the filing fee which is statutorily required to initiate the prosecution of

this action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). 

II. CONCLUSION AND ORDER

For the reasons set forth above, IT IS ORDERED that:

Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP [ECF No. 4] is DENIED and the action is DISMISSED

without prejudice for failure to prepay the $350 filing fee mandated by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a).

DATED: April 26, 2011

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

Case 3:11-cv-00204-LAB-WMC Document 5 Filed 04/27/11 Page 3 of 3