Griffin v. Orange County Courts Entirely
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-07054
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Casimir Griffin v. Orange County Courts Entirely, Judge Swain ordered Griffin to pay fees or submit prisoner authorization within 30 days.
Casimir Griffin and the processing of his civil action; the order also concerns deductions from his prison account if he proceeds without prepaying the filing fee.
What happened
Casimir Griffin v. Orange County Courts Entirely concerns a civil case brought by Griffin, who is incarcerated and represents himself. He submitted an application to proceed without paying fees upfront but did not submit the required prisoner authorization.
The court gave Griffin 30 days from September 3, 2025, to either pay $405 in fees or submit the authorization. The authorization would permit installment deductions of the $350 filing fee from his prison account and require account statements from the prior six months.
The court issued no summons at this time and said the case would be processed if Griffin complied; otherwise, the action would be dismissed. Judge Laura Taylor Swain also denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal from this order.
The detailed version
- Griffin v. Orange County Courts Entirely · No. 1:25-cv-07054
- Laura Swain
- Sept. 3, 2025
Background
Casimir Griffin, who is incarcerated at the Orange County Jail, filed this action without a lawyer. He submitted an application to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), meaning without prepaying court fees, but did not submit the required prisoner authorization.
Court’s Requirements
The court explained that a prisoner must either pay $405 to bring a civil action—$350 for the filing fee and $55 for the administrative fee—or submit a signed IFP application and prisoner authorization. If IFP status is granted, the Prison Litigation Reform Act requires the $350 filing fee to be collected in installments from the prisoner’s account. The authorization also directs the correctional facility to provide certified account statements for the previous six months and deduct and send the required payments to the court.
The court ordered Griffin, within 30 days of the order, to either pay the $405 in fees or complete and submit the attached prisoner authorization labeled with docket number 1:25-CV-7054.
Ruling and Effect
The court directed that no summons issue at that time. It stated that, if Griffin complies, the case will be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures; if he fails to comply within the permitted time, the action will be dismissed. The court also certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal. Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the order as Chief United States District Judge.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.