Coleman v. Doe
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-04514
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 5
In Nail Coleman v. Doe, Judge Swain ordered Coleman to pay fees or submit forms within 30 days, warning the case would be dismissed otherwise.
Nail Coleman must either pay the required fees or submit the required application and prisoner authorization within 30 days to avoid dismissal of the action. Doe is affected because the case will not proceed to service at this time.
What happened
Nail Coleman v. Doe was filed by Nail Coleman, who is incarcerated and representing himself without a lawyer. The opinion does not describe the claims against Doe.
The court ordered Coleman, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in fees or submit a completed application to proceed without paying fees upfront and a prisoner authorization. No summons will issue yet. The court said the action will be dismissed if Coleman does not comply.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also ruled that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying fees. This order addressed filing requirements and did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Coleman v. Doe · No. 1:25-cv-04514
- Laura Swain
- June 10, 2025
Background
Nail Coleman filed a civil action against Doe. Coleman is incarcerated at the Rikers Island – West Facility Annex and is proceeding without a lawyer. The opinion does not describe the allegations or legal claims in the complaint.
Coleman submitted the complaint without paying the required fees and without a completed application to proceed without paying fees upfront or a prisoner authorization.
The Court’s Order
The court explained that a prisoner filing a civil action must either pay $405 in fees—$350 for the filing fee and $55 for the administrative fee—or submit a signed application to proceed without paying fees upfront and a prisoner authorization. If the court grants the application, the $350 filing fee must still be collected in installments from the prisoner’s account. The $55 administrative fee does not apply to a person granted this status.
The court gave Coleman 30 days from the date of the order to pay the $405 or submit the attached application and prisoner authorization. The documents must identify docket number 1:25-CV-4514 (LTS). No summons will issue at this time. If Coleman complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures; if Coleman does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal and Effect
Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying fees. The order concerns payment and filing requirements; it does not decide the underlying claims against Doe.
Read the full 5-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.