BRETT v. FENTY et al

Filing 3

MEMORANDUM OPINION Signed by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan on 12/13/09. (ls, )

FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Frank Brett, Plaintiff, v. Mayor Fenty et aI., Defendants.
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DEC 23 2009
Clerk, U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts

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Civil Action No.

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MEMORANDUM OPINION This matter is before the Court on its initial review of plaintiff s pro se complaint and application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court will grant the in forma pauperis application and dismiss the case because the complaint fails to meet the minimal pleading requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Pro se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch, 656 F. Supp. 237,239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires complaints to contain" (1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction [and] (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief." Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a); see Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950 (2009); Ciralsky v. CIA, 355 F.3d 661, 668-71 (D.C. Cir. 2004). The Rule 8 standard ensures that defendants receive fair notice of the claim being asserted so that they can prepare a responsive answer and an adequate defense and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v. Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C. 1977).

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Plaintiff, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, sues District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, the Library of Congress and a librarian there who he claims "gave [him] the run around" when he requested her assistance. Plaintiff alleges that Mayor Fenty "slandered" him and "tried to steal [his] civil rights" but in what way is unknown because plaintiff has not stated any supporting facts. The complaint is mostly incomprehensible and, thus, fails to provide any notice of a claim or the basis for federal court jurisdiction. order accompanies this Memorandum Opinio
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dismissed. A separate

United States District Judge Date: Decembef-1-, 2009

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