Lawton v. Barajas

Summary

The United States District Court for the Southern District of California dismissed Dashawn Lawton’s § 1983 action without prejudice for failure to pay the required filing fee or properly move to proceed in forma pauperis. The court granted Plaintiff 45 days to reopen the case by paying the $405 fee or filing a compliant IFP motion and declaration.

Holdings

1. A prisoner civil action cannot proceed unless the plaintiff either prepays the required filing fee or files a properly supported motion to proceed in forma pauperis containing the affidavit and trust-account documentation required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1) and (2).
2. Dismissal without prejudice was appropriate because Plaintiff failed to pay the required civil filing and administrative fee and failed to properly move to proceed in forma pauperis.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the action could proceed when Plaintiff neither paid the filing fee required by 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a) nor filed a properly supported motion to proceed in forma pauperis under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).
2. Whether the action should be dismissed without prejudice with an opportunity to cure the filing-fee or IFP deficiency.

Disposition

dismissed