Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_20-cv-00075/USCOURTS-ared-3_20-cv-00075-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Flossie Lane
Defendant
Terry Mapes
Defendant
Dewayne Whitfield
Plaintiff

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

NORTHERN DIVISION

DEWAYNE WHITFIELD, 

ADC #149072 PLAINTIFF

V. CASE NO. 3:20-CV-75-JM-BD

FLOSSIE LANE and

TERRY MAPES DEFENDANTS

INITIAL ORDER FOR PRO SE PRISONER-PLAINTIFFS

You have filed this federal civil rights lawsuit pro se, that is, without the help of a 

lawyer. There are rules and procedures that you must follow in order to proceed with 

your lawsuit, even though you are not a lawyer.

First: Follow All Court Rules. You must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure as well as Local Rules for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Copies of 

rules can be found in the prison library.

In particular, Local Rule 5.5(c)(2) explains requirements for plaintiffs, like you, 

who are not represented by a lawyer:

1. You must promptly notify the Clerk and the other parties in the case 

of any change in address. You must inform the Court if you are 

transferred from one unit to another. Notifying the Court of your 

change in address is especially important if you are released from 

custody while your lawsuit is pending. If you do not keep the Court 

informed as to your current address, your lawsuit can be dismissed.

2. You must monitor the progress of your case and prosecute the case 

diligently.

3. You must sign all pleadings and other papers filed with the Court, 

and each paper you file must include your current address.

4. If you fail to timely respond to a Court Order directing action on 

your part, the case may be dismissed, without prejudice. 

Second: Pay the Filing Fee. Every civil case filed by a prisoner – including this 

one – requires the plaintiff to pay a filing fee either at the beginning of the lawsuit 

or, if he cannot afford to pay the entire fee in a lump sum, to apply to proceed in 

forma pauperis (“IFP”) and pay a $350 fee in monthly installments. Here, you 

have moved to proceed IFP but your application is incomplete because you have 

Case 3:20-cv-00075-JM Document 3 Filed 03/03/20 Page 1 of 2
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not included a jail account information sheet. Accordingly, your motion for 

leave to proceed IFP (docket entry #1) is DENIED.

The Clerk of Court is directed to enclose an IFP application, along with a copy of 

this Order. You must return a completed IFP application, including an 

accompanying affidavit and jail account information sheet, or pay a $400.00 

filing fee within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order. Otherwise, the 

lawsuit will be dismissed. 

Third: No Right to Appointed Counsel. This is a civil case. Unlike criminal 

cases, there is no right to have an appointed lawyer in a civil case. If your case 

proceeds to a trial, however, a lawyer may be appointed to assist you before trial.

Fourth: Do Not File Your Discovery Requests. Discovery requests, such as 

interrogatories and requests for documents, are not to be filed with the Court. 

Instead, discovery requests should be sent to counsel for the defendant (or directly 

to the defendant if he or she is not represented by a lawyer). No discovery should 

be sent to a defendant until after that defendant has been served with the 

complaint.

Fifth: Do Not Send Documents to Court Except in Two Situations. You may 

send documents or other evidence to the Court only if attached to a motion for 

summary judgment or in response to a motion for summary judgment; or if the 

Court orders you to send documents or other evidence.

Sixth: Provide a Witness List. If your case is set for trial, as your trial date 

approaches, you will be asked to provide a witness list. After reviewing the 

witness list, the Court will subpoena necessary witnesses.

IT IS SO ORDERED, this 3rd day of March, 2020.

__________________________________

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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