Order Form (01/2005)

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Name of Assigned Judge

or Magistrate Judge

HARRY D. LEINENWEBER Sitting Judge if Other

than Assigned Judge

CASE NUMBER 12 C 0884 DATE 2/16/2012

CASE

TITLE

Yaphet Castile (#B-30583) vs. Superintendent Mariece, et al.

DOCKET ENTRY TEXT:

The plaintiff is granted thirty days in which to: (1) either file an in forma pauperis application on the enclosed

form with the supporting information required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2) or pay the full $350 filing fee; and (2)

submit an amended complaint (plus a judge’s copy and service copies). The clerk is directed to send the plaintiff

an i.f.p. application, an amended complaint form, and instructions along with a copy of this order. Failure of the

plaintiff to comply with this order within thirty days will result in summary dismissal of this case. The plaintiff

is reminded that he must provide the court with the original plus a judge’s copy of every document filed. 

O [For further details see text below.] Docketing to mail notices.

STATEMENT

The plaintiff, currently an Illinois state prisoner, has brought this pro se civil rights action pursuant to 42

U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiff claims that the defendants, correctional officers at the Cook County Jail, violated

the plaintiff’s constitutional rights by destroying his personal property and by using excessive force against him.

The plaintiff has failed either to pay the statutory filing fee or to file a petition for leave to proceed in

forma pauperis. The Prison Litigation Reform Act requires all inmates to pay the full filing fee, even those whose

cases are summarily dismissed. In all prisoner civil lawsuits, the court must assess an initial partial filing fee. 

See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). The court will direct correctional officials to deduct the initial filing fee payment

directly from the plaintiff’s trust fund account. Thereafter, correctional authorities having custody of the plaintiff

will be authorized and ordered to make monthly payments to the court of 20% of the preceding month’s income

credited to the trust fund account until such time as the full filing fee is paid.

To enable the court to make the necessary assessment of the initial partial filing fee, the plaintiff must

“submit a certified copy of the trust fund account statement (or institutional equivalent) for the prisoner for the

6-month period immediately preceding the filing of the complaint or notice of appeal, obtained from the

appropriate official of each prison at which the prisoner is or was confined.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). Therefore,

(CONTINUED)

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STATEMENT (continued)

if the plaintiff wishes to proceed with this case by making installment payments instead of paying the full filing fee

in advance, he must file an in forma pauperis application on the form required by the rules of this court, together

with a certified copy or copies of his trust fund statements reflecting all activity in his accounts in the past six

months [that is, from August 7, 2011, through February 7, 2012]. 

The plaintiff must also submit an amended complaint (plus a judge’s copy and a sufficient number of copies

for service on each defendant named in the amended pleading). First, because the complaint failed to use the

court’s complete form, the complaint on file does not meet the basic requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a), which

requires a statement of the reliefsought. In addition, every court filing must be signed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). 

Furthermore, the court previously advised the plaintiff that if he wishes to sue prison officials for the theft, loss,

or destruction of his property, he must do so in state court. See Castile v. Moreci, Case No. 11 C 3348 (N.D. Ill.),

Minute Order of June 30, 2011 (Leinenweber, J.). 

For the foregoing reasons, the court dismisses the complaint on file without prejudice. The plaintiff is

granted thirty days in which to submit an amended complaint on the court’s required form. The plaintiff must write

both the case number and the judge’s name on the amended complaint, sign it, and return it to the Prisoner

Correspondent. As with every document filed with the court, the plaintiff must provide an extra copy for the judge;

he must also submit a service copy for each defendant named in the amended complaint. The plaintiff is cautioned

that an amended pleading supersedes the original complaint and must stand complete on its own. Therefore, all

allegations against all defendants must be set forth in the amended complaint, without reference to the original

complaint. Any exhibits the plaintiff wants the court to consider in its threshold review of the amended complaint

must be attached, and each copy of the amended complaint must include complete copies of any and all exhibits. 

The plaintiff is advised to keep a copy for his files. The clerk will provide the plaintiff with an amended civil rights

complaint form and instructions along with a copy of this order. 

In sum, the plaintiff must: (1) either file a properly completed petition to proceed in forma pauperis or pay

the statutory filing fee; and (2) submit an amended complaint, plus judge’s and service copies. The Clerk will

provide the plaintiff with the necessary forms along with a copy of this order. Failure of the plaintiff to comply

with this order within thirty days will result in summary dismissal of this case. 

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