Strege v. Minnesota Supreme Court

Background

Adam Strege filed an 84-page complaint naming numerous defendants, including the Minnesota Supreme Court, Minnesota court personnel, businesses, insurance and energy companies, a medical clinic, school officials, and individuals. He also filed an application to proceed without paying filing fees and a motion to file electronically. The court reviewed those filings under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e), which permits screening of cases filed by people seeking to proceed without paying filing fees.

Court’s analysis

The court explained that, at the screening stage, it accepts the complaint’s factual allegations as true and draws reasonable inferences in the plaintiff’s favor. Even so, the complaint must contain enough facts to make a possible legal claim plausible. The court also said that complaints filed without a lawyer are read generously, but the court is not required to guess at the plaintiff’s intended claims or create claims that were not clearly stated.

The court found that Strege’s complaint was “indecipherable and impossible to follow.” It covered several topics, including nuclear missiles, religion, and space travel, but did not assert a coherent claim against any named defendant. The court further stated that some defendants were likely immune from suit: legal protection for state governments would likely bar claims against the Minnesota Supreme Court, and judicial immunity would likely protect judicial officers for actions taken in their judicial roles. The court did not identify a valid cause of action in the complaint.

Disposition

The court dismissed Strege’s complaint without prejudice for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. It denied Strege’s application to proceed without paying filing fees as moot and denied his motion to file electronically as moot. The order directed that judgment be entered accordingly.