Brett v. Fenty

FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DEC 23 2009
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Clerk, U.S. District and
Bankruptcy Courts
Frank Brett, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No.
)
Mayor Fenty et aI., )
)
Defendants. )
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); Ciralsky 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).
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Plaintiff, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, sues District of Columbia Mayor Adrian
Fenty, the Library of Congress and a librarian there who he claims "gave [him] the run around"
when he requested her assistance. Plaintiff alleges that Mayor Fenty "slandered" him and "tried
to steal [his] civil rights" but in what way is unknown because plaintiff has not stated any
supporting facts. The complaint is mostly incomprehensible and, thus, fails to provide any notice
of a claim or the basis for federal court jurisdiction. ~..........-....,",,'I be dismissed. A separate
order accompanies this Memorandum Opinio
United States District Judge
Date: Decembef-1-, 2009
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