Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/404/59/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 20:54:50+00:00

Document:
The motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis and the petition for a writ of certiorari are granted. The judgment is vacated and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for further consideration in light of Younger v. Gilmore, ante, p. 15.
The question is an important one in the evolution by statutes and constitutional decisions of a Bill of Rights for prisoners. Prisoners are not statistics, known only to a computer, but humans entitled to all the amenities and privileges of other persons, save as confinement and necessary security measures curtail their activities. Whatever security measures may be needed respecting books, it is not conceivably plausible to maintain that essential books can be totally banned.
That question is submerged in this case, as the initial issue concerns these prisoners' request to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal from the District Court's dismissal of their action, the Court of Appeals having refused to docket their cases without prepayment of filing fees and security which litigants normally advance.
"This Court . . . is of the opinion that any appeal taken from the order of denial in this case would be frivolous, without merit, and not taken in good faith. [Footnote 4]"
generous provision, now codified at 28 U.S.C. § 1915, have been limited, however, by the important proviso added in 1910 (36 Stat. 866) which, as now amended, reads: "An appeal may not be taken in forma pauperis if the trial court certifies in writing that it is not taken in good faith." "Good faith" has been defined as a requirement that an appeal present a nonfrivolous question for review. If the district court certifies that an appeal would not present such a question, then an indigent may ask the court of appeals for permission to proceed in forma pauperis. That court must grant the renewed motion if after a de novo determination it disagrees with the district court's application of the good faith test. If both lower courts refuse permission, then, unless this Court vacates the court of appeals' finding, the pauper's appeal is ended without a hearing on the merits. See Fed.Rule App.Proc. 24(a). It is important that, in all of these proceedings, the only cognizable issue is whether a summary survey (as opposed to plenary deliberation) suggests that a substantial argument could be presented. For a discussion of the procedures employed, see Coppedge v. United States, 369 U. S. 438 (1962); Hardy v. United States, 375 U. S. 277 (1964).
Board, 357 U. S. 214 (1958), we held that a State may not withhold a transcript and thereby deny an appeal to a poor man merely because a trial judge believed his own conduct had avoided the production of nonfrivolous questions for review. See also Ross v. Schneckloth, 357 U. S. 575 (1958). In Lane v. Brown, 372 U. S. 477 (1963), we decided that an impoverished prisoner's appeal from a state coram nobis hearing could not be thwarted simply because a public defender officer believed his case lacked merit. In Ellis v. United States, 356 U. S. 674 (1958), we emphasized that a criminal appellant seeking to establish nonfrivolity under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 is entitled to more than appointed counsel's private view that his appeal would be worthless and that, if counsel withdrew for that reason the Court of Appeals was duty bound to replace him. We have also held that a Court of Appeals may not overrule the permission granted by a District Court to proceed in forma pauperis, McGann v. United States, 362 U. S. 309 (1960), but that a Court of Appeals must review de novo a trial judge's certification that an appeal would not be in good faith, Johnson v. United States, 352 U. S. 565 (1957).
"In my view, the decision in Boddie v. Connecticut can safely rest on only one crucial foundation -- that the civil courts of the United States and each of the States belong to the people of this country, and that no person can be denied access to those courts, either for a trial or an appeal, because he cannot pay a fee, finance a bond, risk a penalty, or afford to hire an attorney."
The elusive nature of the frivolity standard is partly demonstrated by the number of times this Court has vacated findings of bad faith by the lower courts. [Footnote 13] It is no answer that we may continue to rectify such errors on an ad hoc basis, for, even so, indigents are nonetheless required to return to courts of appeals, and only then -- after substantial delay -- obtain plenary review on the merits. Coppedge, supra, at 369 U. S. 453. Wealthier litigants, of course, have no such hurdles to pass before obtaining full review of their assignments of error. Although these hurdles might be justifiable where indigents requested more substantial relief, they are too onerous where all that is at stake is the prepayment of a $25 filing fee and $250 security deposit.
appeals henceforth must waive prepayment, and may not inquire into whether an appeal may eventually pose a fruitful issue, at least in cases, such as this one, involving fundamental civil liberties.
In their complaint, petitioners relied upon 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3); 28 U.S.C. § 2201; and 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Cruz v. Hauck, Misc. No.1964 (CA5, filed Feb. 1, 1971).
Cruz v. Hauck, Misc. No.1964 (CA5, filed Mar. 12, 1971).
The issue at stake in the appeal was clearly not frivolous, as indicated by our decision in Younger v. Gilmore, ante, p. 15, that there are limits on the extent to which prison officials may restrict inmates' access to law books. On at least 21 occasions, this Court has reversed lower courts' holdings that only frivolous claims were sought to be presented. Rubio v. United States, 387 U. S. 90 (1967); Robinson v. United States, 372 U. S. 527 (1963); Jones v. United States, 371 U. S. 25 (1962); Gilliam v. United States, 370 U. S. 727 (1962); Garrett v. United States, 369 U. S. 662 (1962); Kemp v. United States, 369 U. S. 661 (1962); Coppedge v. United States, 369 U. S. 438 (1962); see 14 cases prior to Coppedge cited id. at 369 U. S. 440-441, n. 1.
See also Roberts v. LaVallee, 389 U. S. 40 (1967); Long v. District Court of Iowa, 385 U. S. 192 (1966); Draper v. Washington, 372 U. S. 487 (1963); Douglas v. California, 372 U. S. 353 (1963).
Although no explicit equal protection clause is directed by the Constitution against the Federal Government, the concept of equal protection of the laws is incorporated into the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Bolling v. Sharpe, 347 U. S. 497 (1954).
Together with seven other cases, 402 U. S. 94 n. *.
See cases cited at n 8.

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