Doe v. Casey
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-01851
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Jane Doe v. Richard Casey, Judge Swain ordered Jane Doe to pay $405 or submit an application to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days.
Jane Doe must either pay the $405 fee or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days; otherwise, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The defendants are not required to respond at this stage.
What happened
Jane Doe submitted this case by email against Richard Casey and other defendants. The court assigned it docket number 25-CV-1851 (LTS), but the case could not proceed until Jane Doe addressed the filing fees or requested permission to proceed without paying them in advance.
The court gave Jane Doe 30 days to pay $405 or submit a completed and signed application showing that she cannot pay. The $405 includes a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee. Until one of those steps occurs, the court will take no further action, and no summons or answer will be required. The court also said that Jane Doe must file a separate motion if she wants to continue using a pseudonym.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered the fee or application. If Jane Doe does not comply or request more time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The court also denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for any appeal from this order.
The detailed version
- Doe v. Casey · No. 1:25-cv-01851
- Laura Swain
- Mar. 10, 2025
Background
Jane Doe submitted this civil action to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by email. The court assigned docket number 25-CV-1851 (LTS). The opinion does not address the merits of Jane Doe’s claims against Richard Casey or the other defendants.
Fee and IFP requirement
To proceed with the action, Jane Doe must either pay the required fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying them. The court set the total fees at $405: a $350 filing fee plus a $55 administrative fee. Within 30 days of the order, Jane Doe must pay the fees or complete, sign, and submit the application for permission to proceed without prepayment of fees.
The court stated that no further action will be taken, no summons will issue, and no answer will be required until the fees are paid or a completed and signed application is received. If the court grants the application, Jane Doe may proceed without prepaying the fees. If proper payment was submitted before the order, the case will proceed after the payment is processed.
Pseudonym issue
Jane Doe identifies herself by that name in the complaint’s caption and appears to seek permission to proceed under a pseudonym. She had not filed a motion requesting that permission. The court directed the Clerk of Court to limit access to the complaint on the electronic docket to case participants while this issue remains unresolved. The court stated that Jane Doe must file a proper motion if she wishes to proceed under a pseudonym.
Disposition
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Jane Doe to pay the $405 in fees or submit a completed and signed application to proceed without prepaying fees within 30 days. The order states that if Jane Doe does not comply, or does not request an extension of time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling. The court also certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal.
This is a procedural order about filing fees, permission to proceed without prepayment, and the use of a pseudonym. It does not decide whether Jane Doe’s claims are legally valid.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.