Carter v. Cook County Illinois

Filing 6

MEMORANDUM ORDER Entered by the Honorable Milton I. Shadur on 3/14/2012:(gcy, )

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
RONALD H. CARTER,
Plaintiff,
v.
COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS,
Defendant.

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No.

12 C 1762

MEMORANDUM ORDER
Ronald Carter (“Carter”) has just filed a one-paragraph
Complaint that he has captioned “Subject:

Sue against Cook

County Illinois,” coupling that submission with an In Forma
Pauperis Application (“Application”).

Because any grant of in

forma pauperis status requires not only a showing of the
plaintiff’s inability to pay the $350 filing fee (a showing that
the Application in this case confirms) but also the assertion of
a claim that clears a comparatively low hurdle, this memorandum
order turns to the latter.
For that purpose Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21
(1972)(per curiam) teaches that nonlawyers’ pro se pleadings
should be given a generous reading.

But Carter’s brief recital

does not even approach the required level of plausibility to
permit relief to be granted under 42 U.S.C. §1983, and no other
potential source of federal subject matter jurisdiction occurs to
this Court.
That being the case, the Application is denied.

Carter is

granted until March 28, 2012 either to pay the filing fee or to
file an amended complaint that could pass muster as a reasonably
plausible claim--but failing either of those alternatives, this
Court will simply dismiss this action without prejudice.

________________________________________
Milton I. Shadur
Senior United States District Judge
Date:

March 14, 2012

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