Hamilton v. Federal Justice Department

Filing 3

ORDER that 1 Motion/Application for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis is DENIED. FURTHER ORDERED that within thirty days of this order, Plaintiff must either pay the full filing fee of $400, or file a renewed application to proceed in forma pauperis. Signed by Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman on 11/30/2017. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - MMM)

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1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 2 DISTRICT OF NEVADA 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 MICHAEL A. HAMILTON, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) FEDERAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, ) ) Defendant. ) ) _______________________________________ ) Case No. 2:17-cv-02856-JCM-CWH ORDER Presently before the court is pro se Plaintiff Michael A. Hamilton’s application to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 1), filed on November 14, 2017. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1914(a), a filing fee of $350.00 is required to commence a civil action in 13 district court. Additionally, based on the Judicial Conference Schedule of Fees, District Court 14 Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, effective June 1, 2016, a $50.00 administrative fee applies for filing a 15 civil action in district court, making the total filing fee $400.00. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(1), the 16 court may authorize the commencement of a civil case “without prepayment of fees and costs or 17 security therefor” if a person submits an affidavit including a statement of all assets that 18 demonstrates the person is unable to pay the fees or give security for them. 19 Based on Plaintiff’s affidavit, his monthly income is $944 per month, and his monthly 20 expenses are approximately $675. Plaintiff declares he has $11 in cash, and no other assets. 21 Plaintiff does not identify any debts or persons he supports. 22 Upon review, Plaintiff has not demonstrated that he is unable to pay the costs of related to 23 this litigation. See Ross v. San Diego County, 2008 WL 440413 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 14, 2008) (finding 24 plaintiff did not qualify to proceed in forma pauperis where she received $2,100 in disability 25 payments, owned a car and house, and “carried significant debt”); see also Samuel v. Nat’l Health 26 Svs., Inc., 2006 WL 2884795 at *1 (E.D. Cal. Oct. 10, 2006) (denying IFP application where plaintiff 27 received $752.40 per month in Supplemental Security Income and had received a $10,000.00 28 judgment and owned a van valued at $500.00) (citing Green v. Cotton Concentration Co., 294 1 1 F.Supp. 34, 35 (D.C. Tex. 1968) (affidavit of indigency insufficient to establish indigency where 2 both employed plaintiffs earned less than $350)); Matter of Anderson, 130 B.R. 497, 500 (W.D. 3 Mich. 1991) (earnings of $950 per month insufficient to show indigency where poverty level in 4 Michigan was $6,620 per year); In re Fontaine, 10 B.R. 175, 177 (D. R.I. 1981) (no indigency where 5 weekly net pay of $132, no dependents, and lived with mother to whom she paid $25 per week). The 6 court therefore will deny Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis. 7 8 9 IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis (ECF No. 1) is DENIED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within thirty days of this order, Plaintiff must either pay 10 the full filing fee of $400, or file a renewed application to proceed in forma pauperis. Failure to 11 either pay the filing fee or file a renewed application to proceed in forma pauperis will result in a 12 recommendation that this case be dismissed. 13 DATED: November 30, 2017 14 15 _________________________________ C.W. Hoffman, Jr. United States Magistrate Judge 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2

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