Case Name: Dorothy S. NELSON v. BANK OF MISSISSIPPI and Oliver J. Nelson and Honorable Fred P. Wright, Chancery Judge, Howard Moon, Chancery Clerk of Monroe County, Mississippi, and Ms. Sandra Torrent, Official Court Reporter
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 1986-11-12
Citations: 498 So. 2d 365
Docket Number: Mise. No. 2086
Parties: Dorothy S. NELSON v. BANK OF MISSISSIPPI and Oliver J. Nelson and Honorable Fred P. Wright, Chancery Judge, Howard Moon, Chancery Clerk of Monroe County, Mississippi, and Ms. Sandra Torrent, Official Court Reporter.
Judges: WALKER, C.J., and DAN M. LEE, ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 498
Pages: 365–367

Head Matter:
Dorothy S. NELSON v. BANK OF MISSISSIPPI and Oliver J. Nelson and Honorable Fred P. Wright, Chancery Judge, Howard Moon, Chancery Clerk of Monroe County, Mississippi, and Ms. Sandra Torrent, Official Court Reporter.
Mise. No. 2086.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
Nov. 12, 1986.
Gary L. Geeslin, Columbus, for appellant.
Michael Malski, Carnathan, Malski & Ford, Amory, James Patrick Caldwell, Riley, Weir & Caldwell, Tupelo, for appellee.

Opinion:
ROY NOBLE LEE, Presiding Justice,
for the Court:
This matter is before the Court upon the petition of Dorothy S. Nelson for writ of certiorari, writ of mandamus or other relief. The question presented is whether an indigent civil litigant may appeal to this Court and proceed in forma pauperis.
The case was initiated by Dorothy S. Nelson in the Chancery Court of Monroe County, Mississippi, seeking to set aside a deed given to Oliver Nelson on grounds of fraud, inadequate consideration, constructive fraud and deceit. On February 4, 1986, the Chancery Court rendered an opinion deciding the matter adversely to Dorothy Nelson and on February 14, 1986, final judgment was entered thereon dismissing Nelson's suit.
Dorothy S. Nelson has perfected an appeal to this Court from the adverse judgment below and appears to have complied with all aspects of Miss.Sup.Ct.Rule 48 except that she has not prepaid an estimate of the costs. Instead, Nelson filed with the Chancery Court of Monroe County an application for leave to proceed in forma pau-peris. That application was denied by order of the Chancery Court entered March 19, 1986. She then filed the instant petition.
Mississippi Code Annotated § 11-53-17 (1972) provides that persons who are truly indigent may proceed in civil actions as paupers. See also Rule 3(c), Miss.R.Civ.P. We have held that this statute authorizes in forma pauperis proceeding in civil cases at the trial level only. Life and Casualty Ins. Co. v. Walters, 190 Miss. 761, 772-774, 200 So. 732, 733-34 (1941).
Petitioner Nelson contends that Miss. Sup.Ct.Rule 48, effective January 1, 1984, gives her a right to proceed in forma pau-peris in a civil case. Rule 48(i) sets out the procedure for in forma pauperis appeals where such appeals are otherwise authorized by law. Nothing in Rule 48 creates any right to appeal in forma pauperis beyond those rights existing on other grounds.
We have considered the question of whether there is a constitutionally-based right to appeal in forma pauperis in a civil action. We do not find that the Supreme Court of the United States has ever expressly recognized any such right. The closest case in point [Ortwein v. Schwab, 410 U.S. 656, 93 S.Ct. 1172, 35 L.Ed.2d 572 (1973) ] held that an Oregon welfare recipient had no federal constitutional right to appeal a denial of welfare benefits to the Oregon Court of Appeals without prepayment of the prescribed court filing fee.
The petition of Dorothy S. Nelson for writ of certiorari, for writ, of mandamus, or other relief shall be, and the same is hereby denied; provided, however, that the said Dorothy S. Nelson shall have fifteen (15) days from the date of the release of this opinion within which to finally perfect her appeal by prepayment of the costs of preparation of the record on appeal as required by Miss.Sup.Ct.Rule 48(h).
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORA-RI, WRIT OF MANDAMUS, OR OTHER RELIEF DENIED.
WALKER, C.J., and DAN M. LEE, ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur.
HAWKINS, P.J., and ROBERTSON and SULLIVAN, JJ., dissent.
PRATHER, J., not participating.