Owens v. Union Pacific

Filing 8

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER. It is ordered that Plaintiff will have 30 days to show cause why this case should not be dismissed for failure to pay the initial partial filing fee. In the absence of cause shown, this case will be dismissed without prejudice and without further notice. The clerk of the court is directed to set a pro se case management deadline in this case using the following text: February 2, 2016: check for response to show cause order. Ordered by Judge John M. Gerrard. (Copy mailed to pro se party)(MLF, )

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
TOMMY OWENS,
Plaintiff,
v.
UNION PACIFIC,
Defendant.

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8:15CV225

MEMORANDUM
AND ORDER

This matter is before the court for case management. The Prison Litigation
Reform Act requires an imprisoned civil plaintiff to pay the court’s entire filing fee,
either at the outset when filing the complaint, or in installments if the court grants
leave to proceed in forma pauperis (“IFP”). In re Tyler, 110 F.3d 528, 529-30 (8th
Cir. 1997); Jackson v. N.P. Dodge Realty Co., 173 F. Supp. 2d 951 (D. Neb. 2001).
On October 13, 2015, the court granted Plaintiff’s motion seeking leave to
proceed IFP and ordered him to pay an initial partial filing fee in the amount of $1.67
within 30 days. (See Filing No. 7.) To date, Plaintiff has not paid the initial partial
filing fee or asked for an extension of time in which to do so. Accordingly, the court
will require Plaintiff to show cause why this case should not be dismissed for his
failure to pay the initial partial filing fee.
If Plaintiff’s failure to pay by the court’s deadline was caused by prison
officials’ failure to adhere to his request to remit payment using funds from his
account, his failure to pay within the time ordered by the court will be excused.
However, if Plaintiff’s failure to pay by the court’s deadline was caused by his failure
to leave sufficient funds in his account to timely pay the initial partial filing fee, his
failure to pay will not be excused. Absent a sufficient response, the case will be
subject to dismissal. See Taylor v. Cassady, 570 Fed. App’x. 632 (8th Cir. 2014)
(holding district court abused its discretion by dismissing case without first taking

steps to determine whether prisoner-plaintiff’s failure to pay the initial partial filing
fee “was caused by circumstances beyond his control, such as prison officials’ failure
to adhere to his request to remit payment using funds from his account”).
IT IS ORDERED:
1.
Plaintiff will have 30 days to show cause why this case should not be
dismissed for failure to pay the initial partial filing fee. In the absence of cause
shown, this case will be dismissed without prejudice and without further notice.
2.
The clerk of the court is directed to set a pro se case management
deadline in this case using the following text: February 2, 2016: check for response
to show cause order.
DATED this 30th day of December, 2015.
BY THE COURT:
s/ John M. Gerrard
United States District Judge

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directs the user to some other site does not affect the opinion of the court.
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