UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

HARRIS TYCEAN, :

: Civil Action No. 11-1503 (RBK)

Plaintiff, :

:

v. : MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

:

KARL SENULA, :

:

Defendant. : CLOSED

Plaintiff Harris Tycean, a prisoner confined at Gloucester

County Correctional Facility, seeks to bring this civil action in

forma pauperis, without prepayment of fees or security, asserting

claims pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Civil actions brought in forma pauperis are governed by 28

U.S.C. § 1915. The Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L.

No. 104-135, 110 Stat. 1321 (April 26, 1996) (the “PLRA”), 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 PLRA, a prisoner seeking to bring a civil action

in forma pauperis must submit an affidavit, including a statement

of all assets, which states that the prisoner is unable to pay

the fee. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1). The prisoner also must submit

a certified copy of his inmate trust fund account statement(s)

for the six-month period immediately preceding the filing of his

complaint. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). The prisoner must obtain

this certified statement from the appropriate official of each

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prison at which he was or is confined. Id.

Even if the prisoner is granted in forma pauperis status,

the prisoner must pay the full amount of the $350 filing fee in

installments. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). In each month that the

amount in the prisoner’s account exceeds $10.00, until the

$350.00 filing fee is paid, the agency having custody of the

prisoner shall assess, deduct from the prisoner’s account, and

forward to the Clerk of the Court an installment payment equal to

20 % of the preceding month’s income credited to the prisoner’s

account. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(2).

Plaintiff may not have known when he submitted his complaint

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: (1) is frivolous or 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) (in forma pauperis

actions). See also 28 U.S.C. § 1915A (dismissal of actions in

which prisoner seeks redress from a governmental defendant); 42

U.S.C. § 1997e (dismissal of prisoner actions brought with

respect to prison conditions). If the Court dismisses the case

for any of these reasons, the PLRA does not suspend installment

payments of the filing fee or permit the prisoner to get back the

filing fee, or any part of it, that has already been paid.

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In this action, Plaintiff failed to submit a complete in

forma pauperis application as required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1),

(2), including a certified account statement. While Plaintiff

did file an Application to Proceed Without Prepayment of Fees,

Plaintiff failed to include a six-month institutional account

statement certified by an Authorized Officer of the Institution

as required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). 

To the extent Plaintiff asserts that prison officials have

refused to provide the certified account statement, any such

assertion must be supported by an affidavit detailing the

circumstances of Plaintiff’s request for a certified account

statement and the prison officials’ refusal to comply, including

the dates of such events and the names of the individuals

involved.

IT IS THEREFORE on this 28 day of March , 2011, th

ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Application to proceed in forma

pauperis is DENIED; and it is further

ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall administratively

terminate this case, without filing the Complaint or assessing a

filing fee; and it is further

ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall supply to

Plaintiff a blank form Application, for use by a prisoner, to

Proceed In Forma Pauperis in a Civil Rights Case; and it is

further

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ORDERED that if Plaintiff wishes to reopen this action, he

shall so notify the Court, in writing addressed to the Clerk of

the Court, Mitchell H. Cohen Building and U.S. Courthouse, Fourth

and Cooper Streets, Camden, New Jersey, 08101, within 30 days of

the date of entry of this Order; Plaintiff’s writing shall

include either (1) a complete in forma pauperis application,

including an affidavit of indigence and six-month prison account

statement, certified by the appropriate official of each prison

at which the prisoner is or was confined, or (2) the $350 filing

fee; and it is further

ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall serve a copy of

this Order upon Plaintiff by regular U.S. mail;

ORDERED that the Clerk of the Court shall close the file in

this matter. 

s/Robert B. Kugler 

Robert B. Kugler

United States District Judge

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