Hoagland v. Social Security Administration

Filing 4

ORDER granting 1 Motion for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis, signed by Judge Ronald B. Leighton.(DN)

HONORABLE RONALD B. LEIGHTON

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
AT TACOMA

9
10
11

14
15

ORDER

Plaintiff,

12
13

No. 12-CV-5750-RBL

DALLAS HOAGLAND,

[Dkt. #1]

v.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION,
Defendant.

16
17
18
19
20

Plaintiff has applied to proceed in forma pauperis. A district court may permit indigent
litigants to proceed in forma pauperis upon completion of a proper affidavit of indigency. See
28 U.S.C. § 1915(a). The court has broad discretion in resolving the application, but “the
privilege of proceeding in forma pauperis in civil actions for damages should be sparingly
granted.” Weller v. Dickson, 314 F.2d 598, 600 (9th Cir. 1963), cert. denied 375 U.S. 845

21

(1963). Moreover, a court should “deny leave to proceed in forma pauperis at the outset if it
22

appears from the face of the proposed complaint that the action is frivolous or without merit.”
23

Tripati v. First Nat’l Bank & Trust, 821 F.2d 1368, 1369 (9th Cir. 1987) (citations omitted); see
24

also 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(i). An in forma pauperis complaint is frivolous if “it ha[s] no
25

arguable substance in law or fact.” Id. (citing Rizzo v. Dawson, 778 F.2d 527, 529 (9th Cir.
26

1985); Franklin v. Murphy, 745 F.2d 1221, 1228 (9th Cir. 1984).
27
28

Order - 1

1

Plaintiff has shown grounds to proceed in forma pauperis. The motion is GRANTED.

2
3
4
5
6
7

Dated this 6th day of September 2012.

A
Ronald B. Leighton
United States District Judge

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

Order - 2