Dowdy, Tom v. TextBehind

Filing 4

ORDER on ifp request: Initial partial filing fee of $ 36.39 assessed. Initial partial filing fee due 4/24/2024. Signed by Magistrate Judge Andrew R. Wiseman on 3/27/2024. (jef),(ps)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN

TOM CURTIS DOWDY,
Plaintiff,

ORDER

v.
TEXTBEHIND,

Case No. 24-cv-197-jdp

Defendant.

TOM CURTIS DOWDY,
Plaintiff,

ORDER

v.
DODGE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION,

Case No. 24-cv-198-jdp

Defendant.

Plaintiff Tom Curtis Dowdy, a prisoner in the custody of the Wisconsin Department of
Corrections, has submitted two proposed civil actions under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has filed
a certified copy of a trust fund account statement in support of a motion for leave to proceed
without prepaying the filing fee. After considering the motion and supporting documentation, I
conclude that plaintiff qualifies for indigent status.
Even when a prisoner litigant qualifies for indigent status, the litigant must pay a portion
of the filing fee pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). Using information from plaintiff’s trust fund
account statement for the six-month period preceding the complaint, I calculate plaintiff’s initial
partial payment for each case to be $36.39 (total $72.78). For these cases to proceed, plaintiff
must submit this amount on or before April 24, 2024.
If plaintiff does not have enough money to make the initial partial payments from a regular
inmate account, then plaintiff should arrange with prison authorities to make the payments from
a release account. However, prison officials will draw funds first from the plaintiff’s regular
account, and then, if any portion of the payment remains, from the plaintiff’s release account.

Carter v. Bennett, 399 F. Supp. 2d 936 (W.D. Wis. 2005). Federal courts have no authority to
order state officials to allow a prisoner to withdraw funds from a release account for any other
purpose. Id.
ORDER
IT IS ORDERED that:
1.

Plaintiff Tom Curtis Dowdy is assessed an initial partial payment for each case of

$36.39 (total $72.78). Plaintiff must submit a check or money order payable to the clerk of court
by April 24, 2024 or advise the court in writing why plaintiff is not able to make the initial partial
payments.
2.

If plaintiff fails to make the initial partial payments by April 24, 2024, or fails to

show cause why the payments could not be made, then I will assume that plaintiff wishes to
withdraw these actions voluntarily. In that event, the cases will be dismissed without prejudice
to plaintiff refiling at a later date.
3.

No further action will be taken in these cases until the clerk’s office receives the

initial partial payments as directed above and the court has screened the complaints as required
by the Prison Litigation Reform Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2). Once the screening process is
complete, the court will issue a separate order.

Entered this 27th day of March, 2024.
BY THE COURT:

/s/
ANDREW R. WISEMAN
United States Magistrate Judge

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