Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-00035/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-00035-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 446
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Other
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans with Disabilities Act

---

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

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LAURA BRATSET, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

DAVIS JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL 

DISTRICT, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:16-cv-0035-GEB-KJN PS

ORDER

Presently pending before the court is plaintiffs’ motion for leave to proceed in forma 

pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915.1 (ECF No. 2.) The affidavit in support of the motion 

indicates that plaintiffs’ household has a gross biweekly income of approximately $2,330.38, i.e., 

$60,589.88 annually. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 

the poverty guideline for a household of 5 people not residing in Alaska or Hawaii is $28,440.00 

for 2016. See https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines. Thus, plaintiffs’ gross household income 

is in excess of 200% of the 2016 poverty guideline. Additionally, although plaintiffs are still 

making mortgage payments, they are owners of a home with an approximate value of 

$600,000.00. 

 

1

This case was referred to the undersigned pursuant to E.D. Cal. L.R. 302(c)(21).

 

Case 2:16-cv-00035-KJM-DB Document 3 Filed 03/24/16 Page 1 of 2
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

Presently, a filing fee of $400.00 is required to commence a civil action in this court. The 

court may authorize the commencement of an action “without prepayment of fees or security 

therefor” by a person that is unable to pay such fees or provide security therefor. 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(a)(1). Here, the court cannot find that plaintiffs are unable to pay, or provide security for,

the court filing fee. To be sure, the court is sympathetic to the fact that plaintiffs do not have a 

large income by any measure, and that plaintiffs also have several expenses to contend with. 

However, numerous litigants in this court have significant monthly expenditures, and may have to 

make difficult choices as to which expenses to incur, which expenses to reduce or eliminate, and 

how to apportion their income between such expenses and litigating an action in federal court. 

Such difficulties in themselves do not amount to indigency. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiffs’ motion to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 2) is denied.

2. Within 28 days of this order, plaintiffs shall pay the applicable filing fee. However, 

the court will entertain a request for a reasonable extension of time to pay the fee 

should such an extension be necessary. 

3. Failure to timely pay the filing fee, or timely request an extension of time to do so, 

may result in dismissal of the action pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

41(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: March 24, 2016

Case 2:16-cv-00035-KJM-DB Document 3 Filed 03/24/16 Page 2 of 2