Knight v. Minneapolis Public Schools
- David Doty
- 0:25-cv-00417
- U.S. District Court · District of Minnesota
- 2
In Knight v. Minneapolis Public Schools, Judge Doty denied Knight’s request to appeal without paying fees and denied as moot her request for a guardian and lawyer.
Desiree Knight’s request to appeal without prepaying fees and her request for appointment of a guardian ad litem and counsel were affected. Minneapolis Public Schools was the defendant named in the case.
What happened
Knight v. Minneapolis Public Schools involved Desiree Knight’s request to appeal without paying the appellate filing fee. The court had previously found that she was financially eligible for that status.
The court nevertheless found that Knight’s appeal was frivolous, meaning it lacked an arguable basis in law or fact. It therefore concluded that the appeal was not brought in good faith and denied her fee request.
Judge David S. Doty also denied as moot Knight’s motion to appoint a guardian ad litem and counsel. The order does not explain the underlying reasons for the earlier dismissal, referring instead to a prior order.
The detailed version
- Knight v. Minneapolis Public Schools · No. 0:25-cv-00417
- David Doty
- Apr. 29, 2025
Background
Desiree Knight applied to appeal without prepaying the appellate filing fee. Under federal law, a person may receive this status if unable to afford the fee, but the court must deny it if the appeal is not taken in good faith. The court had previously determined that Knight was financially eligible.
The court also considered Knight’s motion to appoint a guardian ad litem and counsel. The opinion does not provide the underlying facts or claims from the earlier stages of the case.
Court’s Analysis
The court explained that good faith is judged objectively. An appeal is frivolous when it lacks an arguable basis in law or fact. Relying on the reasons stated in its earlier order dismissing the case without prejudice, the court found that Knight’s appeal was frivolous and therefore was not taken in good faith.
Disposition
The court denied Knight’s application to appeal without prepaying fees. It also denied as moot her motion to appoint a guardian ad litem and counsel. This order addressed the appeal-fee application and the appointment motion; it did not restate the reasons for the earlier dismissal.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.