B L D - 2 7 7 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

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___________ CL AUDE T OWNS E ND, A ppel l ant v. J U D G E PE T E R J . C A L D E R O N E , i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a M emberof the D epartm ent o f L ab o ra n dWo rk f

o r c e De v e l o p me n tWo rk e r s ’ Co mp e n s a t i o n ; J UDGE WI L L I AM L A K E , i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof the D epartm entof Laborand W orkfor ce D e v e lo p m e n t W o rk e rs’ C o m p e n sa tio n ; C O M M IS S IO N E R D A V ID J. S O C O L O W , in h is o f f i c i a l c ap a c i tya s a me mb e ro f th e S t a t e o f

Ne w J e r s e yDe p a rtme n to f Lab o r ; CARL P U L A S K I, in h is c ap a c itya s a m e m b e r o f N J T ra n sit; JO S E P H A . B U T T E R F IE L D , in hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof N JT r ans i t ; M I K E C R I B B , i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas a mem berof A m al gamat ed Trans i tU ni on D i vi s i on 540; ST E V E SZ U C SI K , i n hi s offi ci al c ap a c i tya s a me mbe ro f Am a l g a ma t e dTr a n s i tUni o n Di v i s i o n 5 4 0 ; M I RI AM Z. M A N IY A ; W IL L IA M V . R O E D E R , in h is o f f icia l ca p a c itya s a m e m b e r o f th e S tate B oar d of M edi calE xami ner s ; J O H N D O E S 1- 10; J A N E D O E S 1- 10

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt

forthe D i s tr i ctof N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i v. N o. 10- cv- 01136) D istri ct Ju d g e: H o n o rab le G arrettE . B row n , Jr.

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o r P o ssible D ism issal U n d er 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 9 1 5 (e)(2)(B ) a n dP o s s ib le S u m m a ry A c tio n P u rs u a n t to T h ir dC ir c u it L A R 2 7 .4 a n dI.O .P . 1 0 .6 A ugus t26, 2010 B efor e: R E N D E L L , C H A G A R E S and V A N A SK I E , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed: O ct ober5, 2010)T o w n se n d ’s m o tio n f o r le a v e to p ro c e e dIF P in th is C o u rt is g ra n ted . H is m o tio n to 1 expedi t e thi s appea l i s deni ed as m ooti n l i ghtof ourdi s pos i t i on. 2 _________ OP INI ON

_________ P E R C UR I AM I n the D i s tr i ctC ourt , C l aude Tow ns end s ubm i tt ed a c om pl ai ntpr o s e as s ert i ng cl ai m s i n connec t i on w i th hi s i nabi l i tyt o obt ai n w orker s ’ compensa t i on benef i t s . H e l at er fi l ed a mot i on forl eave t o pr ocee d i n form a paupe r i s ( “I FP”) . B yor derent er ed M ay18, 2 0 1 0 , the D istri ct C o u rtd en ied T o w n sen d ’s IF P m o ti o n o n the g rou n dthat h is cl aim s are col l at er al l yes t opped bythe di s m i s s al of Tow ns end’ s s i m i l arcompl ai nti n T ow ns end v. C al derone , D . N . J. C i v. N o. 09 -cv- 03 30 3. T ow nsend app eal s. 1 W e h av e jurisdicti o n u n d er 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 9 1 an drev iew the D istri ct C o u rt ’s deni al of l eave t o pr ocee d I FP for abus e of di s cr et i on. See D eut s ch v. U ni t ed St at es , 67 F. 3d 1080, 1083 ( 3d C i r . 1995) . W e conc l ude thatthe D i s tr i ctC ourtabus ed i t s di s cr et i on her e. I n thi s C i r cui t , l eave t o pr ocee d I FP gener al l yturns s ol el yon i ndi gence . See i d. at 1 0 8 4 n .5 ; R o m a n v . Je f f e s, 9 0 4 F .2 d1 9 2 , 1 9 4 n .1 (3 dC ir. 1 9 9 0 ). If th e p lain tiff

is u n ab le t o paythe fi l i ng fee , l eave t o pr ocee d I FP gener al l ys houl d be gr ant ed. See D eut s ch, 67 F .3 da t 1 0 8 4 n .5 . If

a d istric t co u rt g ra n ts IF P sta tu s, it m a yth e n d e c id e w h e th e r to d ism iss th e c o m p lai n t un d er 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 9 1 5 (e)(2). Se e id. (ad d ressing fo rm er §1 9 1 5 (d )); R o m a n , 9 0 4 F .2 da t 1 9 4 n .1 (sa m e ). W h a t itg e n e ra llym a yn o t d o , h o w e v e r, is

d e n ylea v e to p ro c e e dIF P o n th e b a sis o f n o n -f in a n c ial c o n sid e ra tio n s s u c h a s th e m e rits o f th e p lai n ti ff’s co m p lai n t. S ee S inw ell v . S h ap p , 5 3 6 F . 2 d1 5 , 1 8 -19 (3d C ir . 1 9 7 6 ). W e have r ecogni zed thatdeni al of l eave t o pr ocee d I FP for otherthan fi nanci al re a s o n s m ig h t b e w a rr a n te du n d e r “ e x tr e m e c ir c u m s ta n c e s .” D e u ts c h , 6 7 F .3 da t 1 0 8 4 n .5 . T he D i s tr i ctC ourtconcluded mer el ythatT ow ns end’ s cl ai m s ar e barr ed bycol l at er al es t oppel . T he D i s tr i ctC ourtul t i m at el ym aybe r i ght , and w e expr es s no opi ni on on that i s s ue. W e conc l ude, how ever , thatanydefi ci encyw i th T ow ns end’ s compl ai ntdoes not j us t i fydeny i ng l eave t o pr ocee d I FP i ns t ead of addr es s i ng hi s cl ai m s w i thi n the pr oper lega l fram ew o rk . A ccor di ngl y , w e w i l l s um m ar i l yvaca t e the D i s tr i ctC ourt ’ s or derdeny i ng T ow ns end l eave t o pr ocee d I FP. O n r emand, the D i s tr i ctC ourts houl d deci de T ow ns end’ s I FP m ot i on on fi nanci al gr ounds al one and then conduc ts uch further p ro c e e d in g s a s m a yb e n e c e s s a ry c o n s is te n t w ith th is o p in io n . S e e 3 dC ir . L .A .R . 2 7 .4 (2 0 1 0 ); 3 dC ir . I.O .P . 1 0 .6 .

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