Swift v. Doe
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-04727
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 5
In Swift v. Doe, Judge Swain ordered Ricaldo Swift to pay filing fees or submit required forms within 30 days.
Ricaldo Swift must, within 30 days, either pay the required fees or submit the required application and prisoner authorization; the action may be dismissed if he does not comply. The order does not decide the claims against Doe.
What happened
In Swift v. Doe, Ricaldo Swift filed a civil lawsuit without paying the required fees or submitting a completed application to proceed without prepaying them. The order says Swift is incarcerated and is representing himself.
The court gave Swift 30 days to either pay $405 in fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees and a prisoner authorization. The authorization would allow installment deductions from his prison account. No summons will issue yet, and the court said the action will be processed if Swift complies; otherwise, the action will be dismissed.
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 prepaying fees. The order did not address the underlying claims against Doe.
The detailed version
- Swift v. Doe · No. 1:25-cv-04727
- Laura Swain
- July 24, 2025
Background
Ricaldo Swift filed this civil action without paying the filing fees and without submitting a completed application to proceed without prepaying fees or a prisoner authorization. The order states that Swift is incarcerated at the Riker’s Island - North Infirmary Command and is proceeding without a lawyer.
Fee and IFP requirements
The court explained that a prisoner filing a civil action must either pay $405, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, or request permission to proceed without prepaying fees. To make that request, Swift must submit a signed application and a prisoner authorization. If permission is granted, the $350 filing fee must still be paid in installments deducted from the prisoner’s account. The authorization also directs the facility to provide certified account statements for the previous six months.
Ruling and effect
The court ordered Swift, within 30 days of July 24, 2025, to either pay the $405 in fees or submit the required application and prisoner authorization, labeled with docket number 1:25-CV-4727 (LTS). No summons will issue at this time. If Swift complies, the case will be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures; if he does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed. Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. The order did not decide the merits of Swift’s claims.
Read the full 5-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.