Joseph v. U.S. Justice Dept.
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-00414
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Joseph v. U.S. Justice Dept., Judge Swain dismissed the action and denied fee-free appeal status.
The judgment dismisses Rhawn Joseph’s action and denies him permission to appeal without paying filing fees.
What happened
In Joseph v. U.S. Justice Dept., the court entered judgment dismissing Rhawn Joseph’s action. The judgment says the dismissal was based on reasons given in a May 8, 2025, order, which is not included here.
The court also determined that any appeal would not be taken in good faith. It therefore denied Joseph permission to appeal without paying the filing fees.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the judgment on May 12, 2025. The judgment does not state whether the dismissal was with or without prejudice.
The detailed version
- Joseph v. U.S. Justice Dept. · No. 1:25-cv-00414
- Laura Swain
- May 12, 2025
Disposition
The court entered a civil judgment dismissing Rhawn Joseph’s action. It gave the reasons stated in a May 8, 2025, order, but that order is not included in the provided opinion. The judgment therefore does not show the specific basis for dismissal or whether the court reached the merits.
Appeal and Filing Fees
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3), the court certified that any appeal from the judgment would not be taken in good faith. It consequently denied in forma pauperis status—that is, permission to proceed without paying filing fees—for purposes of an appeal. The court cited a Supreme Court decision explaining that good faith exists when an appellant seeks review of a nonfrivolous issue.
Judge
Judge Laura Taylor Swain, Chief United States District Judge, signed the judgment on May 12, 2025. The judgment does not state whether the dismissal was with or without prejudice.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.