Williams v. Rikers Island
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-06020
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 5
In Williams v. Rikers Island, Judge Swain ordered Williams to pay fees or submit forms to proceed without prepaying them.
Alshon C. Williams must either pay the required fees or submit the required application and prisoner authorization within 30 days; otherwise, the action will be dismissed.
What happened
Alshon C. Williams brought Williams v. Rikers Island without a lawyer and submitted a complaint without paying the required fees or completing the required forms. The opinion identifies Williams as incarcerated at Rikers Island-West Facility.
The court gave Williams 30 days to either pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees and a prisoner authorization. The authorization would allow installment deductions from his prison account for the $350 filing fee. No answer was required at that time.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Williams to meet one of those requirements within 30 days; otherwise, the action will be dismissed. She also denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for any appeal from this order.
The detailed version
- Williams v. Rikers Island · No. 1:24-cv-06020
- Laura Swain
- Aug. 8, 2024
Background
Alshon C. Williams filed this civil action against Rikers Island without a lawyer. The opinion states that Williams is currently incarcerated at Rikers Island-West Facility. Williams submitted the complaint without paying the filing fees and without submitting a completed application to proceed without prepaying fees or a prisoner authorization.
Filing requirements
The court explained that a prisoner bringing a civil action must either pay $405 in fees—a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee—or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees and a prisoner authorization. If the court grants the application, the Prison Litigation Reform Act requires collection of the $350 filing fee in installments from the prisoner's account. The authorization also directs the incarceration facility to provide certified account statements for the previous six months and make the required deductions.
Order
Within 30 days of the order, Williams must either pay the $405 in fees or submit the attached application and prisoner authorization, labeled with docket number 24-CV-6020 (LTS). No answer is required at this time. If Williams complies, the case will be processed under the Clerk's Office procedures. If Williams does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed.
The court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal. This order addresses filing requirements and does not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 5-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.