Levesque v. Radhakrishnan ( 2021 )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ANDRÈ RENE LEVESQUE, Plaintiff, 21-CV-8446 (LTS) -against- ORDER DIRECTING PAYMENT OF FEES MID-HUDSON FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC OR IFP APPLICATION AND PRISONER CENTER; DOCTOR VENKATARAMAN AUTHORIZATION RADHAKRISHNAN; DAWN MULDER; MR. WIGGINS; JOHN AND JANE DOES, Defendants. LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN, Chief United States District Judge: Plaintiff brings this action pro se. He is currently detained at Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center, and it is unclear if he faces pending criminal charges; if so, he would qualify as a prisoner under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(h).1 To proceed with a civil action in this Court, a prisoner must either pay $402.00 in fees – a $350.00 filing fee plus a $52.00 administrative fee – or, to request authorization to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), that is, without prepayment of fees, submit a signed IFP application and a prisoner authorization. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914, 1915. If the Court grants a prisoner’s IFP application, the Prison Litigation Reform Act requires the Court to collect the $350.00 filing fee in installments deducted from the prisoner’s account. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). A prisoner seeking to proceed in this Court without prepayment of fees must therefore authorize the Court to withdraw these payments from his account by filing a “prisoner authorization,” which directs 1 Section 1915(h) defines “prisoner” for the purposes of the in forma pauperis statute to mean “any person incarcerated or detained in any facility who is accused of, convicted of, sentenced for, or adjudicated delinquent for, violations of criminal law or the terms and conditions of parole, probation, pretrial release, or diversionary program.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915(h). the facility where the prisoner is incarcerated to deduct the $350.00 filing fee2 from the prisoner’s account in installments and to send to the Court certified copies of the prisoner’s account statements for the past six months. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2), (b). Plaintiff submitted the complaint without the filing fees or a completed IFP application and prisoner authorization. Within thirty days of the date of this order, Plaintiff must either pay the $402.00 in fees or submit the attached IFP application and prisoner authorization forms. If Plaintiff submits the IFP application and prisoner authorization, they should be labeled with docket number 21-CV-8446 (LTS).3 If Plaintiff is not currently facing pending criminal charges, and thus does not qualify as a prisoner, he should so indicate and must submit only the IFP application. No summons shall issue at this time. If Plaintiff complies with this order, the case shall be processed in accordance with the procedures of the Clerk’s Office. If Plaintiff fails to comply with this order within the time allowed, the action will be dismissed. The Court certifies under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith, and therefore IFP status is denied for the purpose of an appeal. Cf. Coppedge v. United States, 369 U.S. 438, 444–45 (1962) (holding that appellant demonstrates good faith when seeking review of a nonfrivolous issue). 2 The $52.00 administrative fee for filing a civil action does not apply to persons granted IFP status under 28 U.S.C. § 1915. 3 Plaintiff is cautioned that if a prisoner files an action that is dismissed as frivolous or for failing to state a claim, the dismissal is a “strike” under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). A prisoner who receives three “strikes” cannot file actions IFP as a prisoner, unless he is under imminent danger of serious physical injury, and must pay the filing fees at the time of filing any new action. The Clerk of Court is directed to mail a copy of this order to Plaintiff and note service on the docket. SO ORDERED. Dated: October 15, 2021 New York, New York /s/ Laura Taylor Swain LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN Chief United States District Judge