Heard v. Department of Justice

• Court: District Court, District of Columbia
• Decided: February 27, 2017
• Docket: Civil Action No. 2017-0345
• Status: Published

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Robert Heard, ) ) Pla““‘ff’ ) Case; 1 ;17-<:\/-00345 ) Assigned To : Unassigned V~ § Assign. Date ; 2/27/2017 't‘ ;P G .C'. F-DECK Dep’t ofJustice el al., ) Descnp lon m Se en lv ( ) ) 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 informa 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 F ederal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Pro se litigants must comply with the F ederal 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 “(l) 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 Ashcrofl‘ v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-79 (2009); Cira/sky v. C]A, 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 resident of Gainesville, Georgia, has submitted a complaint against the Department of Justice; City of Gainesville, Georgia; Hall County, Georgia; Middle and High School Students, and Mexicans. See Compl. Caption. He seeks “injunctive relief against all the defendants.” Compl. at 3. The cryptic statements comprising the complaint are

incomprehensible and thus fail to provide any notice of a claim and a basis of federal court

jurisdiction Consequently, this case will be dismisses er accompanies this

l

Date: February , 2017 Unite<{States District Judge

Memorandum Opinion.