Order Form (01/2005)

United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Name of Assigned Judge

or Magistrate Judge

BLANCHE M. MANNING Sitting Judge if Other

than Assigned Judge

CASE NUMBER 12 C 344 DATE January 27, 2012

CASE

TITLE

Lamonte Dixon, Jr. (#K-96013) vs. Ralph Burkybile

DOCKET ENTRY TEXT:

The plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis [#3] is granted. The court authorizes and orders

the trust fund officer at the plaintiff’s place of incarceration to begin making monthly deductions toward payment

of the statutory filing fee in accordance with this order. The clerk shall send a copy of this order to the trust fund

officer at the Pontiac Correctional Center. The clerk is directed to issue summons for service on defendant by

the U.S. Marshal. The clerk is further directed to send the plaintiff a Magistrate Judge Consent Form and

Instructions for Submitting Documents along with a copy of this order. 

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

STATEMENT

The plaintiff, an Illinois state prisoner, has brought this pro se civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C.

§ 1983. The plaintiff claims that the defendant, a correctional officer at the Stateville Correctional Center,

violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights by using unjustified force against him. More specifically, the plaintiff

alleges that the defendant intentionally banged the plaintiff into doors and hallways as he escorted him to the

segregation unit, causing injury. 

The plaintiff’s motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. Because the plaintiff has a

negative balance in his prison trust account, the initial partial filing fee is waived pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

1915(b)(4). However, the trust fund officer at the plaintiff’s place of incarceration is authorized and ordered to

begin collecting monthly payments from the plaintiff’s trust fund account in an amount equal to 20% of the

preceding month’s income credited to the account. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2). Monthly payments shall be

forwarded to the Clerk of Court each time the amount in the account exceeds $10 until the full $350 filing fee

is paid. Id. All payments shall be sent to the Clerk, United States District Court, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago,

Illinois 60604, attn: Cashier’s Desk, 20th Floor, and shall clearly identify the plaintiff’s name and this case

number. This payment obligation will follow the plaintiff wherever he may be transferred. 

(CONTINUED)

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STATEMENT (continued)

Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, the court is required to conduct a prompt threshold review of the complaint. 

Here, accepting the plaintiff’s allegations as true, the court finds that the plaintiff has articulated a colorable federal

cause of action. If Officer Burkybile resorted to force “not ‘in a good-faith effort to maintain or restore discipline,’

but ‘maliciously and sadistically to cause harm,’ ” then he may be liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Hendrickson v.

Cooper, 589 F.3d 887, 890 (7th Cir. 2009), quoting Hudson v. McMillian, 503 U.S. 1, 7 (1992). While a more fully

developed record may belie the plaintiff’s allegations, the defendant must respond to the complaint. 

The clerk shall issue summons forthwith and send the plaintiff a Magistrate Judge Consent Form and

Instructions for Submitting Documents along with a copy of this order.

The United States Marshals Service is appointed to serve the defendant. Any service forms necessary for

the plaintiff to complete will be sent by the Marshal as appropriate to serve the defendant with process. The U.S.

Marshal is directed to make all reasonable efforts to serve the defendant. If Officer Burkybile can no longer be

found at the work address provided by the plaintiff, the Illinois Department of Corrections shall furnish the Marshal

with the defendant’s last-known address. The information shall be used only for purposes of effectuating service

[or for proof of service, should a dispute arise] and any documentation of the address shall be retained only by the

Marshal. Address information shall not be maintained in the court file, nor disclosed by the Marshal. The Marshal

is authorized to mail a request for waiver of service to the defendant in the manner prescribed by Fed. R. Civ. P.

4(d)(2) before attempting personal service. 

The plaintiff is instructed to file all future papers concerning this action with the Clerk of Court in care of

the Prisoner Correspondent. The plaintiff must provide the court with the original plus a complete judge’s copy,

including any exhibits, of every document filed. In addition, the plaintiff must send an exact copy of any court

filing to the defendant [or to defense counsel, once an attorney has entered an appearance on behalf of the

defendant]. Every document filed with the court must include a certificate of service stating to whom exact copies

were mailed and the date of mailing. Any paper that is sent directly to the judge or that otherwise fails to comply

with these instructions may be disregarded by the court or returned to the plaintiff.

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