Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00973/USCOURTS-casd-3_13-cv-00973-0/pdf.json

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

---

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

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BRANDON MEEKS, 

CDCR #T-72692,

Civil

No.

13cv0973 GPC (BGS)

Plaintiff, ORDER DENYING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS

AND DISMISSING CASE

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

PURSUANT TO 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) 

(ECF Doc. No. 2)

 vs.

A. NUNEZ, et al.,

Defendants.

 

Brandon Meeks (“Plaintiff”), who is currently incarcerated at California State

Prison in Corcoran, California, and proceeding pro se, has filed a civil rights complaint

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff alleges several correctional officials and a nurse

at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego used excessive force against

him, failed to protect him from harm, and provided him constitutionally inadequate

medical treatment in April 2011 while he was incarcerated there. (Compl. at 2-7.)

Plaintiff has not prepaid the $350 filing fee mandated by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a);

instead, he has filed a Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”) pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 1915(a) (ECF Doc. No. 2).

I:\Chambers Curiel\Civil - Odd\13cv0973-deny-IFP.wpd -1- 13cv0973 GPC (BGS)

Case 3:13-cv-00973-GPC-BGS Document 3 Filed 04/26/13 PageID.<pageID> Page 1 of 4
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

I. MOTION TO PROCEED IFP

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 pastsix 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 collect subsequent 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 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, or California

State Prison in Corcoran’s institutional equivalent, 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

I:\Chambers Curiel\Civil - Odd\13cv0973-deny-IFP.wpd -2- 13cv0973 GPC (BGS)

Case 3:13-cv-00973-GPC-BGS Document 3 Filed 04/26/13 PageID.<pageID> Page 2 of 4
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

...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). 

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:

(1) Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP (ECF Doc. No. 2) 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).

(2) Plaintiff is GRANTED an additional forty-five (45) days from the date of

this Order to either: (1) pay the entire $350 filing fee, or (2) file a new Motion to

Proceed IFP, which includes a certified copy of his trust account statement for the 6-

month period preceding the filing of his Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2)

and S.D. CAL. CIVLR 3.2(b). 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall provide Plaintiff

with a Court-approved form “Motion and Declaration in Support of Motion to Proceed

IFP” in this matter. If Plaintiff neither pays the $350 filing fee in full nor sufficiently

completes and files the attached Motion to Proceed IFP, together with a certified copy

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

/ / / /

I:\Chambers Curiel\Civil - Odd\13cv0973-deny-IFP.wpd -3- 13cv0973 GPC (BGS)

Case 3:13-cv-00973-GPC-BGS Document 3 Filed 04/26/13 PageID.<pageID> Page 3 of 4
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

of his trust account statement within 45 days, this action shall remained closed without

further Order of the Court. 

1

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: April 26, 2013

DATED: April 26, 2013

HON. GONZALO P. CURIEL

United States District Judge

Plaintiff is cautioned that if he chooses to proceed further by either paying the full civil filing 1

fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a), or filing a properly supported Motion to Proceed IFP, his Complaint

will be screened prior to service pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b) and 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)

regardless of payment or fee status. See Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000) (en

banc) (noting that 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e) “not only permits but requires” the court to sua sponte dismiss

an in forma pauperis complaint that is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim, or seeks damages from

defendants who are immune); see also Rhodes v. Robinson, 621 F.3d 1002, 1004 (9th Cir. 2010)

(discussing similar screening required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b) of all prisoner complaints).

I:\Chambers Curiel\Civil - Odd\13cv0973-deny-IFP.wpd -4- 13cv0973 GPC (BGS)

Case 3:13-cv-00973-GPC-BGS Document 3 Filed 04/26/13 PageID.<pageID> Page 4 of 4