Riley Thornock v. Bonnie James

• Court: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Decided: September 30, 2025
• Docket: 25-1724
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

USCA4 Appeal: 25-1724 Doc: 10 Filed: 09/30/2025 Pg: 1 of 2

UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 25-1724

RILEY THORNOCK,

Plaintiff - Appellant,

v.

BONNIE JAMES,

Defendant - Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Richmond. David J. Novak, District Judge. (3:25-cv-00453-DJN)

Submitted: September 25, 2025 Decided: September 30, 2025

Before GREGORY and WYNN, Circuit Judges, and FLOYD, Senior Circuit Judge.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

Riley Thornock, Appellant Pro Se.

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. USCA4 Appeal: 25-1724 Doc: 10 Filed: 09/30/2025 Pg: 2 of 2

PER CURIAM:

Riley Thornock appeals the district court’s order denying his motion to proceed in

forma pauperis. * “A district court has discretion to grant or deny an in forma pauperis

petitioner . . . [based on] a determination of the poverty and good faith of the applicant.”

Dillard v. Liberty Loan Corp., 626 F.2d 363, 364 (4th Cir. 1980) (internal quotation marks

omitted). We have reviewed the record and conclude that the district court did not abuse

its discretion. We therefore affirm the district court’s order. Thornock v. James, No.

3:25-cv-00-453-DJN (E.D. Va. June 17, 2025). We dispense with oral argument because

the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court

and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

* The order denying Thornock’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis is an immediately appealable order. Roberts v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 339 U.S. 844, 845 (1950).