Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-4_18-cv-00935/USCOURTS-ared-4_18-cv-00935-1/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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IN THE UNITED ST ATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS 

WESTERN DIVISION 

CARL E. DOTSON 

v. No. 4:18-cv-935-DPM 

C. MONROE, Patrol Officer, 

Little Rock Police Department; 

LARRY JEGLEY, Prosecutor; and 

BILL SIMPSON, Public Defender 

ORDER 

PLAINTIFF 

DEFENDANTS 

1. Motion to proceed in forma pauperis, NQ 1, granted. Dotson must 

pay the filing fee, but over time. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). The Court won't 

assess an initial partial filing fee because Dotson can't afford to pay one. 

But his custodian must collect monthly payments from Dotson's prison 

trust account each time the amount in the account exceeds $10.00. 

These payments will be equal to twenty percent of the preceding 

month's income credited to the account; and they will be collected and 

forwarded to the Clerk of the Court until the $350.00 filing fee is paid 

in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). The payments forwarded on Dotson's 

behalf must be clearly identified by case name and case number. 

2. The Court directs the Clerk to send a copy of this order to the 

Administrator of the Pulaski County Detention Center, 3201 West 

Roosevelt Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204. 

Case 4:18-cv-00935-DPM Document 5 Filed 01/08/19 Page 1 of 3
3. The Court must screen Dotson's complaint. NQ 2 & NQ 3; 

28 U.S.C. § 1915A. Dotson alleges he was searched and seized without 

probable cause; the criminal proceedings against him were wrongly 

bound over to the Circuit Court of Pulaski County, Arkansas; and his 

Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination was violated. NQ 2. 

Dotson's criminal case is pending in state court. 

The Court must abstain from proceeding with Dotson's federal 

case because the criminal case is ongoing, Arkansas has an important 

interest in enforcing its criminal laws, and Dotson may raise his 

constitutional claims during his state criminal proceedings. Younger v. 

Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 43-45 (1971). Further, there's no indication of bad 

faith, harassment, or any other extraordinary circumstances that would 

make abstention inappropriate. Tony Alamo Christian Ministries v. Selig, 

664 F.3d 1245, 1254 (8th Cir. 2012). This case must, therefore, be put on 

hold until there's a final disposition of Dotson's pending state charges. 

Wallace v. Kato, 549 U.S. 384, 393-94 (2007); Yamaha Motor Corporation, 

U.S.A. v. Stroud, 179 F.3d 598, 603-04 (8th Cir. 1999). 

* * * 

This case is stayed. Dotson can move to reopen this case after final 

disposition of his state case, including any appeal. Any motion to 

reopen must be filed within sixty days of that final disposition. If 

Dotson doesn't file a timely motion to reopen or a status report by 

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Case 4:18-cv-00935-DPM Document 5 Filed 01/08/19 Page 2 of 3
8 January 2020, then the Court will reopen the case and dismiss it 

without prejudice. 

So Ordered. 

I D.P. Marshall Jr. 

United States District Judge 

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