1. Suits brought in forma pauperis are governed by 28 U.S.C. §

1915.

1

 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

RICHARD A. WASHINGTON : CIVIL ACTION

:

v. :

:

ALBERT SUBERS, et al. : NO. 05-4561

M E M O R A N D U M A N D O R D E R

Plaintiff, an inmate at the State Correctional

Institution at Somerset (SCI-Somerset), seeks to bring a civil

action in forma pauperis,

1 without prepayment of fees or security

therefor, asserting claims pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The

Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110

Stat. 1321 (April 26, 1996) (the "Act"), which amends 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915, establishes certain financial requirements for prisoners

who are attempting to bring a civil action or file an appeal in

forma pauperis. 

Under the Act, a prisoner bringing a civil action in

forma pauperis must pay the full amount of the $250 filing fee. 

28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). The prisoner must submit a certified

copy of his inmate trust fund account statement for the 6-month

period immediately preceding the filing of his complaint so the

Court can determine how the $250 filing fee will be paid. 28

U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). The prisoner must obtain this statement

from the appropriate official of each prison at which he was or

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is confined. Id. The Court must then "assess [the prisoner's

financial status] and, when funds exist, collect, as a partial

payment of any court fees required by law, an initial partial

filing fee of 20 percent of the greater of-- (A) the average

monthly deposits to the prisoner's account; or (B) the average

monthly balance in the prisoner's account for the 6-month period

immediately preceding the filing of the complaint . . . ."

Plaintiff's inmate trust fund account statement for the

six-month period immediately preceding the filing of his

complaint shows average monthly deposits of $158.41, average

monthly balances of $200.07, and a current balance of $206.29. 

Based upon this financial information, an initial partial filing

fee of $40.01 is assessed. The Superintendent or other

appropriate official at SCI-Somerset, or at any prison at which

plaintiff may be confined, will be directed to deduct $40.01 from

plaintiff's inmate account, when such funds become available, and

forward that amount to the Clerk of the United States District

Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Thereafter, each

time that the balance in plaintiff's prison account exceeds $10,

an amount no greater than 20 percent of the money credited to

plaintiff's account during the preceding month will be deducted

and forwarded to the Clerk of Court until the filing fee is paid.

Plaintiff may not have known when he brought this 

action that he must pay the filing fee, and that even if the full

filing fee, or any part of it, has been paid, the Court must

dismiss the case if it finds that the action is: (1) frivolous or

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malicious; (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be

granted; or (3) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is

immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). If the

Court dismisses the case for any of these reasons, the Act does

not permit the prisoner to get his filing fee back. 

We shall give plaintiff twenty (20) days from the date

of this order to decide whether he wants to proceed with this

case. If by that time, plaintiff decides not to proceed with the

case, he need not pay the $250 filing fee.

Accordingly, it is, this day of September, 2005,

hereby ORDERED that:

1. The petition is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE to its

reassertion in accordance with the terms of this order; 

2. If plaintiff files with the Court within twenty

(20) days from the date of this order a notice that he wishes to

proceed with this action and thereby obligate himself to pay the 

$250 filing fee, this action will be reinstated; and 

3. The Clerk of Court shall CLOSE this case

statistically.

BY THE COURT:

/S/ CYNTHIA M. RUFE, J.

 

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