Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03045/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03045-0/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

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RICK P. SMITH,

Plaintiff, 

 v.

PERRY, A., et al.,

Defendants. /

No. C 07-3045 WHA (PR) 

DISMISSAL WITH LEAVE TO

AMEND

This case was opened when an envelope was received from plaintiff, an inmate of the

Contra Costa County Jail, containing three letters of complaint about events at the jail. In an

effort to protect plaintiff’s rights, they were treated as an attempt to open a new civil rights case.

Because the letters were not accompanied by a filing fee or application for leave to

proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”), the clerk sent plaintiff a notice to that effect, along with an

IFP form and a return envelope. Plaintiff has now filed the IFP application, which suggests he

does indeed intend this to be a new case. 

The three letters with which plaintiff commenced this case do not amount to a proper

complaint. Among other things, plaintiff does not say who he intends to be the defendants, nor

what relief he wants. The letters, treated as a complaint, are therefore DISMISSED with leave to

file an amended complaint on the court’s form for prisoner Section 1983 actions. The amended

complaint must be filed by a date thirty days from the date this order is entered or the case will

be dismissed. It must be on the court’s form, and plaintiff must write “First Amended

Case 3:07-cv-03045-WHA Document 5 Filed 07/02/07 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

Complaint” and the case number of this case on the first page. The clerk shall send plaintiff the

court’s form packet for section 1983 cases. Because he has been granted leave to proceed IFP,

plaintiff need not file the IFP application contained in the form packet.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 2 , 2007. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

G:\PRO-SE\WHA\CR.07\SMITH045.DWLTA

Case 3:07-cv-03045-WHA Document 5 Filed 07/02/07 Page 2 of 2