In Re: Christine Hardman
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-08608
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In re: Christine Hardman was dismissed without prejudice for failure to pay fees or submit required forms, Judge Swain ruled.
Christine Hardman’s civil action was dismissed without prejudice. The court also denied permission to appeal without paying fees.
What happened
In re: Christine Hardman required Christine Hardman to submit an application to proceed without paying filing fees, a prisoner authorization, or the required filing fees. The court’s earlier order warned that failing to do so would lead to dismissal.
Hardman did not submit the required forms or pay the fees. The court therefore dismissed the action without prejudice, meaning the dismissal does not bar refiling.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain directed the Clerk to enter judgment and denied permission to appeal without paying fees, finding that any appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- In Re: Christine Hardman · No. 1:24-cv-08608
- Laura Swain
- Feb. 3, 2025
Background
The court said that an order dated December 2, 2025, directed Christine Hardman, within 30 days, to submit a completed application to proceed without paying the filing fee and a prisoner authorization, or to pay the $405 filing fee required to bring a civil action in the court. That order warned that failing to comply would result in dismissal.
Ruling
The court found that Hardman had not submitted the application and prisoner authorization or paid the filing fee. It therefore dismissed the action without prejudice. The court also certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying fees. The Clerk was directed to enter judgment dismissing the action.
Note on the Opinion’s Dates
The opinion is dated February 3, 2025, but it refers to an earlier order dated December 2, 2025. Those dates appear inconsistent, and the opinion does not explain the discrepancy.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.