Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_15-cv-00138/USCOURTS-ared-3_15-cv-00138-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
David Carter
Defendant
Cody Lee Chadwick
Plaintiff
Allison Huckabee
Defendant
John Evan Pullam
Plaintiff

Document Text:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

JONESBORO DIVISION

CODY LEE CHADWICK, and

JOHN EVAN PULLAM PLAINTIFFS

V. 3:15CV00138 DPM/JTR

DAVID CARTER, Sheriff, and

ALLISON HUCKABEE, Jail Administrator,

Green County Detention Center DEFENDANTS

INITIAL ORDER FOR PRO SE PRISONERS

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. In

particular, Local Rule 5.5(c)(2) provides that:

It is the duty of any party not represented by counsel to promptly

notify the Clerk and the other parties to the proceedings of any change

in his or her address, to monitor the progress of the case, and to

prosecute or defend the action diligently. A party appearing for

himself/herself mustsign his/her pleadings and state his/her address, zip

code, and telephone number. If any communication from the Court to a

pro se plaintiff is not responded to within thirty (30) days, the case may

be dismissed without prejudice. Any party proceeding pro se must be

expected to be familiar with and follow the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure. 

Second: The Three Strikes Rule. The Prison Litigation Reform Act, 28

U.S.C. § 1915(g), provides that:

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In no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action or appeal a

judgment in a civil action or proceeding under thissection 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.

Third: Service of Defendants. All Defendants must be served within 120

days of the filing of the Complaint. This includes “John/Jane Doe” Defendants. It

is your responsibility to identify all Defendants, including “Doe” Defendants. The

Court will order service on all properly identified Defendants, but you are responsible

for providing valid service addresses for each of them. Any Defendant who is not

served within 120 days will be dismissed, without prejudice, from the lawsuit. See

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m); Lee v. Armontrout, 991 F.2d 487, 489 (8th Cir. 1993). 

Fourth: 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. Phillips

v. Jasper County Jail, 437 F.3d 791, 794 (8th Cir. 2006). If your case proceeds to a

jury trial, however, a lawyer will be appointed to assist you.

Fifth: Do Not File Discovery. Discovery requests(such asinterrogatories and

requestsfor production of documents) and responses to discovery requests cannot be

filed with the Court. Instead, you must mail discovery requests and responses directly

to counsel for the Defendant. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5(d). Do not mail discovery requests

to Defendants' counsel until after he or she hasfiled an Answer or Motion to Dismiss.

Sixth: Do Not Send Documents to the Court, Except in Two Situations.

You may send documents or other evidence to the Court only if: (1) it is attached to

a Motion for Summary Judgment, or a Response thereto; or (2) the Court orders you

to file documents or other evidence.

Seventh: Witnesses. If your case is set for trial, as your trial date approaches,

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

Court will subpoena the necessary witnesses.

Eighth: Filing Fee. Every civil case filed by a prisoner requires the plaintiff

to pay a filing fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. A $400 filing fee must be paid at the beginning

of the lawsuit unless the plaintiff cannot afford to pay the entire fee at once. If you

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cannot afford to pay the filing fee in a lump sum, you may file an Application to

Proceed In Forma Pauperis (“IFP”). If you are granted IFP status, the filing fee is

$350. Importantly, the entire filing fee will be collected, even if your lawsuit is

dismissed.

You have improperly filed a single IFP formthat does not properly clarify each

of your separate financial conditions. Additionally, Chadwick's financial situation

may have changed in light of his recent release. 

The Clerk is directed to send Chadwick a freeworld IFP form. Chadwick must

complete that form, sign it, and return it to the Clerk within thirty days. If he does

not do so, Chadwick will be dismissed, without prejudice, from this lawsuit.

The Clerk is directed to send Pullam a prisoner IFP form. Pullam must

complete that form, sign it, and return it to the Clerk within thirty days.If he does not

do so, Pullam will be dismissed, without prejudice, from this lawsuit.

Pullam alleges that Greene County officials are refusing to complete his

calculation sheet. The Court must have that information in order to determine if

Pullam is entitled to proceed IFP. Therefore, the Clerk is directed to send a

calculation sheet to Allison Huckabee, Administrator of the Greene County

Detention Center. The Court requests that Ms. Huckabee complete that form on

behalf of Pullam and return it to the Clerk within thirty days of the entry of this

Order.

Ninth: You have both signed a single, joint Complaint that does not

adequately explain how each of your personal constitutional rights were violated.

Thus, the Clerk is directed to mail Chadwick and Pullam separate § 1983 Complaint

forms. You must each file a separate Complaint clarifying: (1) how your personal

own constitutionalrights were violated;(2) how you were personally harmed by each

constitutional violation; and (3) how each of the Defendants were personally involved

in each alleged constitutional violation you personally endured. If you do not do so

within thirty days, this case will be dismissed without prejudice. 

IT IS SO ORDERED this 12th day of June, 2015.

 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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