Jean Baptiste v. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-01436
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Jean Baptiste v. SUNY Downstate, Judge Swain ordered payment or an IFP application before the case could proceed.
Valerie N. Jean Baptiste, whose action must be accompanied by payment of the court’s fees or a signed application to proceed without prepaying them.
What happened
In Jean Baptiste v. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Valerie N. Jean Baptiste submitted a civil action to the Southern District of New York by email, and the court assigned it a docket number.
The court said Jean Baptiste must either pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without paying fees in advance. Until one of those steps occurs, the case will not proceed, and no summons or answer is required.
If Jean Baptiste does not comply or request more time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. Judge Laura Taylor Swain also denied fee-free status for any appeal from this order, finding that such an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Jean Baptiste v. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · No. 1:25-cv-01436
- Laura Swain
- Mar. 4, 2025
Background
Valerie N. Jean Baptiste submitted this civil action to the court by email. The order does not describe the claims or the underlying dispute. The court assigned the action docket number 1:25-CV-1436 (LTS).
Fee Requirement
The court directed Jean Baptiste, within 30 days of the order, to do one of two things: pay $405 in fees, or complete, sign, and submit the attached application to proceed without prepaying fees or costs. The court stated that the $405 consists of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, subject to possible updates to the fee schedule.
The court said that no further action would be taken, and no summons would issue or answer would be required, until it received payment or a completed and signed application. If Jean Baptiste complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case. If the court grants the application, Jean Baptiste may proceed without prepaying the fees.
Disposition
The court ordered payment of the fees or submission of a signed fee-waiver application within the specified time. If Jean Baptiste fails to comply or request an extension, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for that appeal.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.