Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-02876/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-02876-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 18:1962 Racketeering (RICO) Act

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- 1 - 09cv2876

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GRACE L. SANDOVAL,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 09cv2876 DMS (JMA)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 

AND DISMISSING COMPLAINT

WITH PREJUDICE PURSUANT

TO 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(I)

vs.

CRISTINA N. RODRIGUEZ,

Defendant.

Plaintiff, a non-prisoner proceeding pro se, has submitted a Complaint, Motion and

Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury in Support of Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”),

and a request for appointment of counsel. 

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 plaintiff’s failure to prepay the entire fee only if the

plaintiff is granted leave to proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). See Rodriguez v. Cook, 169

F.3d 1176, 1177 (9th Cir. 1999). This Court finds Plaintiff’s affidavit of assets is sufficient to show

she is unable to pay the fees or post securities required to maintain this action. See Civil Local Rule

3.2(d). Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

1915(a).

Case 3:09-cv-02876-DMS-JMA Document 4 Filed 01/27/10 Page 1 of 2
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 In light of the Court’s dismissal of Plaintiff’s Complaint, the Court denies Plaintiff’s request

for appointment of counsel as moot.

- 2 - 09cv2876

Sua Sponte Screening per 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)

Notwithstanding payment of any filing fee or portion thereof, a complaint filed by any person

proceeding IFP pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) is subject to a mandatory and sua sponte review and

dismissal by the court to the extent it is frivolous, malicious, fails to state a claim upon which relief

may be granted, or seeks monetary relief from a defendant immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. §

1915(e)(2)(B); Calhoun v. Stahl, 254 F.3d 845, 845 (9th Cir. 2001) (“[T]he provisions of 28 U.S.C.

§ 1915(e)(2)(B) are not limited to prisoners.”); Lopez v. Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1126-27 (9th Cir. 2000)

(en banc). Prior to its amendment by the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the former 28 U.S.C. §

1915(d) permitted sua sponte dismissal of only frivolous and malicious claims. Id. at 1130. The

newly enacted 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2), however, mandates that the court reviewing a complaint filed

pursuant to the IFP provisions of section 1915 make and rule on its own motion to dismiss before

directing that the complaint be served by the U.S. Marshal pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(c)(2). Lopez,

203 F.3d 1127 (“[S]ection 1915(e) not only permits, but requires a district court to dismiss an in forma

pauperis complaint that fails to state a claim.”); see also Barren v. Harrington, 152 F.3d 1193, 1194

(9th Cir. 1998) (noting the “the language of § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) parallels the language of Federal Rule

of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6).”). 

After careful review, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s complaint is frivolous and void of any

plausible claims for relief. Because “it is absolutely clear that the deficiencies of the complaint could

not be cured by amendment,” the Court DISMISSES the complaint with prejudice. Franklin v.

Murphy, 245 F.2d 1221, 1228 n.9 (9th Cir. 1984).

 Conclusion and Order

For these reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Motion to Proceed IFP is

GRANTED and the Complaint is DISMISSED with prejudice.1

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: January 27, 2010

HON. DANA M. SABRAW

United States District Judge

Case 3:09-cv-02876-DMS-JMA Document 4 Filed 01/27/10 Page 2 of 2