(PC) Hill v. Her

District Court, E.D. California·Decided August 10, 2023·No. 2:22-cv-01849·Unknown

Opinion

CYMEYON HILL, No. 2: 22-cv-1849 KJM KJN P Plaintiff, v. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HER, et al., Defendants. Plaintiff is a civil detainee, proceeding without counsel, with a civil rights action. For the reasons stated herein, the undersigned recommends that plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis be denied. Background On December 8, 2022, the undersigned recommended that plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis be denied. (ECF No. 10.) In evaluating plaintiff’s in forma pauperis application, the undersigned looked to whether plaintiff’s application showed that he was “unable to pay [the filing fee] or give security therefor.” (Id., citing 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a).) The undersigned observed that plaintiff’s trust account statement indicated that as of September 20, 2022, plaintiff had $5,221.90 in his prison trust account. (Id.) The undersigned found that plaintiff’s trust account statement demonstrated that plaintiff was able to pay the filing fee of $402. (Id.) On February 10, 2023, the Honorable Kimberly J. Mueller declined to adopt the December 8, 2022 findings and recommendations. (ECF No. 12.) Citing Bradford v. DeFranco, 2022 WL 17485948 (E.D. Cal. Dec. 7, 2022), Judge Mueller stated that this court declined to deny requests to proceed in forma pauperis solely based on the balance of a detained person’s trust account. (Id.) Judge Mueller referred this matter back to the undersigned for further review under the relevant legal standard. (Id.) Bradford v. DeFranco In Bradford, Judge Mueller quoted Escobedo v. Applebees, 787 F.3d 1226 (9th Cir. 2015) (internal citations omitted): An affidavit in support of an IFP application is sufficient where it alleges that the affiant cannot pay the court costs and still afford the necessities of life. The IFP statute does not itself define what constitutes insufficient assets. As this court has recognized, “[o]ne need not be absolutely destitute to obtain benefits of the in forma pauperis statute.” Nonetheless, a plaintiff seeking IFP status must allege poverty “with some particularity, definiteness and certainty.” Bradford, 2022 WL 17485948, at *1-2 (quoting Escobedo v. Applebees, 787 F.3d at 1234). In Bradford, Judge Mueller observed that the grant of in forma pauperis status covers more than the filing fee for a federal court action. Id. at *2. It also covers the costs of certain transcripts and records on appeal and service of process. Id. Finally, in Bradford, Judge Mueller noted that the in forma pauperis statute does not provide a definition of “what constitutes insufficient assets” for purposes of a grant of in forma pauperis status. Id. “As a general proposition, ‘an affidavit is sufficient which states that one cannot because of his poverty pay or give security for the costs and still be able to provide himself and dependents with the necessities of life.’” Id. (quoting Adkins v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., Inc., 335 U.S. 331, 339 (1948)). “An individual need not be ‘absolutely destitute’ to qualify for in forma pauperis status.” Id. (citing Adkins, 335 U.S. at 339). //// //// //// //// Hill v. Allison Also relevant to the instant action is Judge Mueller’s consideration of plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis in Hill v. Allison, 2: 22-cv-0718 KJM EFB P.1 In case 22-cv-0718, on June 10, 2022, Judge Mueller denied plaintiff’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis. See 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 11. On July 21, 2022, plaintiff filed a motion for reconsideration of the June 10, 2022 order. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 15. In case 22-cv-0718, on September 13, 2022, Judge Mueller issued an order observing that the relevant trust account statement showed on October 1, 2021, a balance of $5,154.7, and reflected three separate entries for income from “JPAY” in the amount of $100.00, $40.00, and $100.00, respectively; it also showed an “inmate special deposit” on April 20, 2022, in the amount of $1,200, and two entries on the same date for “misc. income (exempt) in the amount of $600.00 and $51.47, respectively.” Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 16 at 2. In case 22-cv-0718, in the September 13, 2022 order, Judge Mueller directed plaintiff to supplement his April 7, 2022 affidavit in support of his application to proceed in forma pauperis with a sworn statement explaining: 1) the source of the funds for the initial balance in his inmate trust account on October 1, 2021; 2) what “JPAY” is, whether he receives regular income from this source and, if so, the amount of that income; and 3) the source(s) of the three deposits to his inmate trust account on April 20, 2022, and whether he receives income regularly from these sources. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 16 at 2-3. In case 22-cv-0718, after receiving plaintiff’s briefing in response to the September 13, 2022 order, on November 4, 2022 Judge Mueller granted plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration of the court’s order denying his application to proceed in forma pauperis. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 18. Judge Mueller referred the matter back to the assigned magistrate judge, Magistrate Judge Brennan, for further review and consideration of whether, on the record as a whole, plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis met the standard in 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a) as interpreted by Adkins, supra, and its progeny. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 18. 1 The undersigned takes judicial notice of the orders in case 22-cv-0718. Fed. R. Evid. 201(b); Reyn’s Pasta Bella, LLC v. Visa USA, Inc., 442 F.3d 741, 746 n.6 (9th Cir. 2006). In case 22-cv-0718, on January 12, 2023, Magistrate Judge Brennan recommended that plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis be denied. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19. Magistrate Judge Brennan observed that plaintiff’s further briefing failed to respond to Judge Mueller’s order that he provide further information regarding the three specific matters identified in the September 13, 2022 order. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19 at 3. Magistrate Judge Brennan found that plaintiff made incomplete and misleading representations to the court, making it all but impossible for the court to make an assessment of his financial condition. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19 at 5. Magistrate Judge Brennan found that plaintiff made conflicting statements regarding his financial situation under penalty of perjury. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19 at 5. Magistrate Judge Brennan also found that plaintiff completely failed to explain how he could not afford hygiene items, legal paper, and the costs of the filing fee, service or process, and appellate costs with the thousands of dollars in his trust account. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19 at 6. Magistrate Judge Brennan concluded that plaintiff “made apparent misrepresentations about his financial condition and has refused the court’s invitation to provide an accurate picture of his finances.” Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 19 at 6. In case 22-cv-0718, on March 22, 2023, Judge Mueller adopted the January 12, 2023 findings and recommendations recommending that plaintiff’s application to proceed in forma pauperis be denied. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 20. On April 20, 2023, Judge Mueller dismissed case 22-cv-0718 after plaintiff failed to pay the filing fee. Case 22-cv-0718, ECF No. 21. Further Briefing in the Instant action On February 16, 2023, the undersigned ordered plaintiff to file further briefing in support of his application to proceed in forma pauperis. (ECF No. 13.) In the February 16, 2023 order, the undersigned observed that plaintiff’s trust acc

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