Long v. Jenkins ( 2010 )

FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DEC 1 0 2010
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Clerk, U.S. District & Bankruptcy
Courts for the District of Columbia
)
Karen F. Long, )
)
Plaintiff, )
) 10 2103
v. ) Civil Action No.
)
George Jenkins, )
)
Defendant. )
)
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on its initial review of plaintiff s pro se complaint and
application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court will grant the in forma pauperis
application and dismiss the case because the complaint fails to meet the minimal pleading
requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Pro se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch,
656 F. Supp. 237, 239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires
complaints to contain "(1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction
[and] (2) a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief."
Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a); see Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1950 (2009); Oralsky v. CIA, 355
F.3d 661, 668-71 (D.C. Cir. 2004). The Rule 8 standard ensures that defendants receive fair
notice of the claim being asserted so that they can prepare a responsive answer and an adequate
defense and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v. Califano, 75
F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C. 1977).
,
Plaintiff, a resident of Ox on Hill, Maryland, sues an individual apparently associated with
Shoppers Food Warehouse in District Heights, Maryland. The complaint, consisting of
scribbling and disjointed phrases, fails to provide any notice of a claim or the basis of federal
court jurisdiction. l A separate Order of dismissal accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
United States District Judge
Date: December~, 2010
1 This complaint is one of nine such submissions received by the Clerk's Office on the
same day. Each complaint names a different defendant but is otherwise the same. Moreover,
similar complaints were dismissed in August, September and November of this year for the same
reasons. Plaintiff is warned that her persistence in filing similar lawsuits may result in the
imposition of restrictions on her ability to file cases in this Court.
2