Hickman v. Federal Reserve Board of Governors ( 2010 )

FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MAY 1 4 2010
Clerk, U.S. District & Bankru tc
Courts for the District of COIU~bYa
)
Derian Douglas Hickman, )
)
Plaintiff, )
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v. )
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Civil Action No.
10 0791
Federal Reserve Board of Governors et al., )
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Defendants. )
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MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on its initial review of plaintiffs 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) ofthe 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 District of Columbia resident, sues the Federal Reserve. In the one-paragraph
complaint, plaintiff alleges only that the defendants are "withholding [his] employment and bank
ownership information[,] causing confusion to voters Governor of a state and employment as
Federal Reserve Banking Board of Governors." He seeks an unspecified "amount due and
documents" that he does not identify. Because the complaint fails to provide any notice of a
claim, it will be dismissed. A separate Order accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
~'!~ j !/~/~
United States District Judge
Date: May -ll, 2010
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