Bradley v. Otis Bantum Correctional Center
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-09668
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In James Bradley v. The City of New York, Judge Swain dismissed Bradley’s complaint after he failed to file the required amended complaint.
James Bradley’s complaint was dismissed after he failed to file the required amended complaint. The court also denied him permission to appeal without paying the filing fee. The order did not adjudicate the underlying claims against the defendants.
What happened
In James Bradley v. The City of New York, the court had ordered Bradley to file an amended complaint within 60 days and warned that failing to do so would result in dismissal. Bradley did not file one.
The court dismissed the complaint under the statute governing screening of cases filed without paying the filing fee. It also denied Bradley permission to appeal without paying the fee, finding that an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment. The order did not address the underlying claims against the defendants.
The detailed version
- Bradley v. Otis Bantum Correctional Center · No. 1:24-cv-09668
- Laura Swain
- May 14, 2025
Background
James Bradley filed the complaint without paying the filing fee under the federal statute allowing qualifying litigants to proceed without prepaying that fee. On January 27, 2025, the court ordered Bradley to file an amended complaint within 60 days and expressly warned that failing to do so would result in dismissal.
Ruling
Bradley did not file an amended complaint. The court therefore dismissed the complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii), a provision governing the court’s screening of cases filed without prepaying the filing fee. The opinion does not provide further details about the claims or explain the underlying basis for the screening dismissal.
The court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith. It therefore denied permission to appeal without paying the filing fee. The court also directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment in the action.
Effect
The order dismissed Bradley’s complaint and ended the action in the district court. It did not decide the merits of the underlying claims. The opinion 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.