Jordan v. D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

FILE@
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FoR THE DISTRICT oF CoLUMBIA APR'-\ 7 2019
CoNsUELo JoRDAN, ) gg::\t<é \i’§it‘\’;$\§{;°,fi§t%?“@``gmi)ia
l Plaintiff, §
v. § v Civil Action No. l9-O922 (UNA)
D.C. METRoPoLITAN PoLlcE DEPARTMENT,§
Defendant. §
MEMORANDUM oPINloN
This matter is before the Court on plaintiffs application to proceed in forma pauperis and
her pro se civil complaint The application will be granted, and the complaint will be dismissed
The Court has reviewed plaintiffs complaint, keeping in mind that complaints filed by
pro se litigants are held to less stringent standards than those applied to formal pleadings drafted
by lawyers. See Haz``nes v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Even pro se litigants, however,
must comply with the F ederal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tz'sch, 656 F. Supp. 237, 239
(D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires that a complaint
contain a short and plain statement of the grounds upon which the Court’s jurisdiction depends, a
short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief, and a demand
for judgment for the relief the pleader seeks. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). The purpose of the minimum
standard of Rule 8 is to give fair notice to the defendants of the claim being asserted, sufficient to
prepare a responsive answer, to prepare an adequate defense and to determine whether the
doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v. Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C. 1977).
This complaint fails to meet the pleading standard set forth in Rule 8(a). It includes no
short and plain statement plaintiffs entitlement to the relief she demands, an award of 3138
million. Furthermore, the plaintiff names a defendant- the Metropolitan Police Department -
Which as a District of Columbia government agency cannot sue or be sued. See, e.g., Argote v.
D.C. Metro. Police Dep't, No. lS-CV-303, 2016 WL 107916, at *2 (D.D.C. Jan. 8, 2016) (“No
one can s_ue a constituent agency of the District of Columbia.”) (citations omitted); Allen-Brown
v. District of Columbia, 54 F. Supp. 3d 35, 40 (D.D.C. 2014) (granting defendants' motion to
dismiss MPD, which is non sui juris, as a defendant). Absent a statement of cognizable claims
showing the plaintiffs entitlement the relief she demands, the complaint will be dismissed. An
Order consistent with this Memorandum Opinion is i
/é United States Di\strict Judge
DATE: Apl'il , 2019 ``