Dustin M. Baker v. State of Missouri, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri granted Dustin M. Baker a final extension to pay the filing fee or renew his application to proceed in forma pauperis with a certified inmate account statement. The order warns that failure to comply by May 21, 2026, will result in dismissal without prejudice and denies Bradi M. Rhodes’s motions as moot because she was previously stricken from the case.

Holdings

1. The court granted Baker one final extension, until May 21, 2026, to either pay the full $405 filing fee or file a renewed in forma pauperis motion with a certified inmate account statement.
2. If Baker fails to timely pay the initial partial filing fee or show that he has no assets and no means to pay, the action will be dismissed without prejudice and without further notice.
3. Rhodes's motions were denied as moot because she had previously been stricken from the case.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court should provide Baker an additional extension to pay the filing fee or renew his application to proceed in forma pauperis after his failure to comply with a prior order.
2. Whether failure to pay the initial partial filing fee or establish inability to pay may result in dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(b) and the Prison Litigation Reform Act.
3. Whether Rhodes's motions should be denied as moot after she was stricken from the case.

Disposition

other