Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00330/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-00330-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TONY BLACKMAN,

Plaintiff,

v.

G. PONDER; et al.,

Defendants. /

No. C 07-330 SI (pr)

ORDER OF DISMISSAL 

Plaintiff originally filed this pro se civil action in the Eastern District of California, but

that court determined the action was in the wrong venue and transferred it to the Northern

District of California. When the action was filed in this district on January 18, 2007, the court

notified plaintiff in writing that the complaint was deficient due to the failure to pay the filing

fee or furnish a completed and signed court-approved in forma pauperis application, including

a completed certificate of funds in the prisoner's account and a copy of the prisoner's trust

account statement for the last six months. Plaintiff was advised that failure to pay the fee or file

the completed application within thirty days would result in dismissal of the action. 

Plaintiff did send to the court an in forma pauperis application, but did not attach an

inmate trust account statement or a certificate of funds with it. He attached to his application

several documents, including an inmate appeal and another complaint form in which he

complained that prison officials refused to process his inmate appeal to obtain a copy of the

materials he needed from the trust account office. The documents show that plaintiff's failure

Case 3:07-cv-00330-SI Document 3 Filed 03/23/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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

to obtain the materials needed for the in forma pauperis application was due to his refusal to

follow standard operating policy rather than misbehavior by the prison officials. The

attachments indicate that plaintiff insisted on using the inmate appeal system to obtain the

materials despite the prison officials' direction to him that he had to follow "SVSP Operational

Procedure # 2 Inmate Mail, Section RE: In Forma Pauperis." Oct. 5, 2006 Letter. If the prison

policy is that a trust account statement or certificate of funds cannot be requested through the

inmate appeals system and must be requested by following Operational Procedure # 2, the

prisoner must attempt to obtain the materials by following Operational Procedure # 2. Plaintiff's

choice to bypass the procedure in place to obtain the required pauper materials provides no

reason to excuse the requirement that he provide a copy of his inmate trust account and

certificate of funds. 

 Plaintiff has failed to provide the court with either the filing fee or a complete in forma

pauperis application and the deadline by which to do so has passed. The action is DISMISSED

without prejudice for failure to pay the filing fee or submit a complete in forma pauperis

application. Plaintiff may file a new action, but should include a filing fee or an in forma

pauperis application with a new civil complaint to commence that new action. Because this

action is now dismissed, plaintiff should not file an application or pay the filing fee in this

action. The clerk shall close the file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 23, 2007 ______________________

 SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge

Case 3:07-cv-00330-SI Document 3 Filed 03/23/07 Page 2 of 2