Reddick v. Department of Defense

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FILED
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NOV 3 0 2010
Clerk, U.S. District and
GEORGE GREGORY REDDICK, ) Bankruptcy Courts
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Plaintiff, )
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v. ) Civil Action No.
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, et aI., )
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Defendants. )
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court upon consideration of plaintiffs application to proceed in
forma pauperis and his pro se 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 Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Evenpro se litigants, however,
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 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 ofthe 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).
Plaintiffs complaint does not contain a short and plain statement of a claim that plaintiff
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is entitled to the relief he seeks. As drafted, neither the Court nor the named defendants can
reasonably discern which claim or claims are made against which defendant or defendants. For
these reasons, the complaint will be dismissed for its failure to comply with Rule 8(a). An Order
consistent with this Memorandum Opinion is issued separately.
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