Task: songer_indigent

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals. The issue is: "Did the court rule that the defendant's rights as an indigent were violated?" Answer the question based on the directionality of the appeals court decision. If the court discussed the issue in its opinion and answered the related question in the affirmative, answer "Yes". If the issue was discussed and the opinion answered the question negatively, answer "No". If the opinion considered the question but gave a mixed answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part, answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion does not discuss the issue, or notes that a particular issue was raised by one of the litigants but the court dismissed the issue as frivolous or trivial or not worthy of discussion for some other reason, answer "Issue not discussed". If the opinion considered the question but gave a "mixed" answer, supporting the respondent in part and supporting the appellant in part (or if two issues treated separately by the court both fell within the area covered by one question and the court answered one question affirmatively and one negatively), answer "Mixed answer". If the opinion either did not consider or discuss the issue at all or if the opinion indicates that this issue was not worthy of consideration by the court of appeals even though it was discussed by the lower court or was raised in one of the briefs, answer "Issue not discussed". If the court answered the question in the affirmative, but the error articulated by the court was judged to be harmless, answer "Yes, but error was harmless". 

PER CURIAM.
Although the amount of money involved in this case is small, the principle is not, but is of some general importance.
Petitioner appellant, a state prisoner, formerly at large on parole, had his parole revoked under procedures that he alleges were unconstitutional. In the light of present judicial concern over parole practices generally we are not prepared to say that his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint which he sought to file in the district court is frivolous on its face. Nor did the district court. That court denied him leave to proceed in forma pauperis, under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a), on the ground that he had sufficient means, thereby requiring him to pay the $15 filing fee. Petitioner admits to having a cash credit with the warden of $78.00. He lists no outstanding debts. The warden has certified that his credit is $218. Rather than pay the fee, petitioner brings this petition for mandamus, seeking an order recognizing his right to proceed in forma pauperis.
We have previously, in other connections, held that a plaintiff, even though of small means, could reasonably be asked to some small degree to “put his money where his mouth is,” it being all too easy to file suits, even with sufficient pro forma allegations, if it costs nothing whatever to do so. We are not prepared to say that the district court’s requirement in this case was such an abuse of discretion as would call for mandamus on our part.
Nor would we say that the court may not inquire whether, if a prisoner has no cash credit at the moment of filing, he had disabled himself by a recent drawing on his account, and if so, for what purposes.
The petition is dismissed. This ruling is without prejudice to a renewed request in the district court for leave to proceed in forma pauperis in order to meet some larger described expense subsequently faced. Cf. Green v. Cotton Concentration Co., S.D.Tex., 1968, 294 F.Supp. 34.

Question: Did the court rule that the defendant's rights as an indigent were violated?
A. No
B. Yes
C. Yes, but error was harmless
D. Mixed answer
E. Issue not discussed
Answer:

Answer: A