Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01845/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01845-0/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Plaintiff Josh Thomas is appearing pro se in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 

1983. 

Plaintiff is subject to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g), which provides that “[i]n no event shall a prisoner 

bring a civil action ... under this section if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while 

incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in a court of the United States that 

was dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief 

may be granted, unless the prisoner is under imminent danger of serious physical injury.”1 If a 

plaintiff has three strikes under § 1915(g), he may still proceed in forma pauperis if he can show that 

 

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The court takes judicial notice of the following cases: 1:98-cv-06095-AW-HGB (PC), Thomas v. Wilson (dismissed on 

June 21, 1999,, for failure to state a claim for which relief may be granted); 1:99-cv-05350-AWI-LJO (PC), Thomas v. 

Fairman (dismissed on December 22, 2000, for failure to state a claim for which relief may be granted); 1:04-cv-05793-

MJS (PC), Thomas v. Carrasco (dismissed on October 13, 2010, for failure to state a claim for which relief may be 

granted). 

JOSH THOMAS,

 Plaintiff,

v.

C. OGBUEHI, et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:15-cv-01845-SAB (PC)

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF‟S MOTION 

TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS AND 

ORDER DIRECTING PAYMENT OF INMATE 

FILING FEE BY CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT 

OF CORRECTIONS

[ECF No. 2]

Case 1:15-cv-01845-LJO-SAB Document 4 Filed 01/05/16 Page 1 of 3
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he was in imminent danger at the time of filing his complaint. Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 

1053 (9th Cir. 2007). The “imminent danger” exception “applies if the complaint makes a plausible 

allegation that the prisoner faced imminent physical danger at the time of filing” the complaint. Id. at 

1055. Thus, to meet the imminent danger exception, the threat or prison condition must be real and 

proximate, Ciarpaglini v. Saini, 352 F.3d 328, 330 (7th Cir. 2003), and the danger of serious physical 

injury must exist at the time the complaint is filed. Malik v. McGinnis, 293 F.3d 559, 562-563 (2d 

Cir. 2002); Andrews, 493 F.3d at 1053. 

In the instant complaint, Plaintiff alleges that from 2011 to the present, Defendants have not 

provided him reasonable accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act, denied 

appropriate medical treatment, falsified and ignored various medical records, and failed to provide him 

an operable wheelchair causing injury and pain to Plaintiff. Plaintiff‟s allegations are sufficient to 

meet the “imminent danger of serious physical injury” exception under § 1915(g), and Plaintiff shall 

be granted in forma pauperis status. See, e.g., Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1055, 1056-1057

(9th Cir. 2007) (“[A] prisoner who alleges that prison officials continue with a practice that has injured 

him or others similarly situated in the past will satisfy the „ongoing danger‟ standard and meet the 

imminence prong of the three-strikes exception.”). However, Plaintiff is obligated to make monthly 

payments in the amount of twenty percent of the proceeding month‟s income credited to Plaintiff‟s 

trust account. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is required to send to the 

Clerk of the Court payments from Plaintiff‟s account each time the amount in the account exceeds 

$10.00, until the statutory filing fee is paid in full. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). 

In accordance with the above and good cause appearing therefore, it is HEREBY ORDERED 

that:

1. Plaintiff‟s application to proceed in forma pauperis is GRANTED;

2. The Director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or his 

designee shall collect payments from Plaintiff‟s prison trust account in an amount equal 

to twenty percent (20%) of the preceding month‟s income credited to the prisoner‟s 

trust account and shall forward those payments to the Clerk of the Court each time the 

amount in the account exceeds $10.00, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2), until 

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a total of $350.00 has been collected and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court. The 

payments shall be clearly identified by the name and case number assigned to this 

action.

3. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order and a copy of Plaintiff‟s 

in forma pauperis application on the Director of the California Department of 

Corrections and Rehabilitations, via the court‟s electronic case filing system 

(CM/ECF).

4. The Clerk of Court is directed to serve a copy of this order on the Financial 

Department, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, Fresno Division.

5. Within sixty (60) days of the date of service of this order, Plaintiff shall submit a 

certified copy of his prison trust account statement for the six-month period 

immediately preceding the filing of the complaint, if Plaintiff has not already done so. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 5, 2016 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:15-cv-01845-LJO-SAB Document 4 Filed 01/05/16 Page 3 of 3