Summary
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California directs the Clerk to randomly assign a district judge in Joseph A. Williams’s § 1983 action. The court recommends denying Williams’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis and ordering him to pay the $405.00 initial filing fee because his trust account contained $1,042.97.
Topics
Practice areas
Questions Presented
- Whether Plaintiff should be permitted to proceed in forma pauperis when his trust account statement showed sufficient funds to pay the costs of the action.
- Whether Plaintiff should be ordered to pay the $405.00 initial filing fee.
Holdings
- The magistrate judge recommended that Plaintiff's motion to proceed in forma pauperis be denied because his trust account showed that he was able to afford the costs of the action.
- The magistrate judge recommended that Plaintiff be ordered to pay the $405.00 initial filing fee in full before proceeding with the action.
Key quotations
“Examination of Plaintiff’s application and trust account statement reveals that Plaintiff is able to afford the costs of this action.” (at 1)
“Plaintiff’s current available balance in his trust account is $1,042.97.” (at 1)
Factual background
Plaintiff Joseph A. Williams is a state prisoner pursuing a pro se civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. He submitted an application to proceed in forma pauperis, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provided his trust account statement. The statement showed a current available balance of $1,042.97, which the magistrate judge determined was sufficient to pay the costs of the action.
Procedural history
Plaintiff initiated the civil rights action on December 30, 2025, and filed a motion to proceed in forma pauperis. After the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation submitted Plaintiff's trust account statement, the magistrate judge found that Plaintiff had sufficient funds to pay the costs of the action, directed the Clerk to randomly assign a district judge, and recommended denial of in forma pauperis status and payment of the $405.00 initial filing fee. Plaintiff was given fourteen days to file objections under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1).