Balasinkam v. New York City Police Department
- Edgardo Ramos
- 1:25-cv-01667
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Balasinkam v. New York City Police Department, Judge Swain ordered a pro se plaintiff to sign the complaint within 30 days or face dismissal.
Sash Balasinkam, who filed the action without a lawyer, must submit a signed declaration within 30 days to avoid the dismissal described in the order.
What happened
In Balasinkam v. New York City Police Department, Sash Balasinkam filed a complaint without a signature and was proceeding without a lawyer. The court explained that an unrepresented party must personally sign court filings.
The court ordered Balasinkam to sign and submit an attached declaration form within 30 days. It directed that no summons issue for now and said the case would be processed if Balasinkam complied; otherwise, the action would be dismissed.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also stated that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without paying appeal fees.
The detailed version
- Balasinkam v. New York City Police Department · No. 1:25-cv-01667
- Edgardo Ramos
- Mar. 3, 2025
Background
Sash Balasinkam brought an action against the New York City Police Department, New York City Emergency Medical Services, and Lincoln Hospital. The opinion states that Balasinkam was proceeding without a lawyer and submitted the complaint without a signature.
Signature Requirement
The court cited Rule 11(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires an unrepresented party to personally sign a pleading or other court paper. The court directed Balasinkam to sign and submit the attached declaration form within 30 days of the order.
Court’s Action
The court ordered that no summons issue at that time. It stated that, if Balasinkam complied, the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures. If Balasinkam did not comply within the allowed time, the action would be dismissed. The court also certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without paying fees for an appeal. Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.