Blacknall v. Rockland County Municipal Corporation
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-07747
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Dainell K. Blacknall v. Rockland County Municipal Corporation, Judge Swain ordered Blacknall to pay fees or submit prisoner authorization within 30 days.
Dainell K. Blacknall, a detained plaintiff proceeding without a lawyer, must either pay the filing fees or submit the required prisoner authorization within 30 days.
What happened
Dainell K. Blacknall v. Rockland County Municipal Corporation concerns the paperwork needed for Blacknall, who is detained at Rockland County Jail and is representing himself, to proceed with a civil case without paying fees upfront.
Blacknall submitted an application to proceed without prepaying the filing fee but did not submit the required authorization allowing payments to be deducted from his account. The order explains that the total fees are $405, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, although the administrative fee does not apply if permission to proceed without prepayment is granted.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Blacknall, within 30 days, either to pay the $405 or submit the prisoner authorization. No summons will issue yet. If he does not comply, the action will be dismissed without prejudice to refiling; the court also denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
The detailed version
- Blacknall v. Rockland County Municipal Corporation · No. 1:25-cv-07747
- Laura Swain
- Sept. 18, 2025
Background
Dainell K. Blacknall is detained at Rockland County Jail and is proceeding without a lawyer. He submitted an application to proceed in forma pauperis, meaning without prepaying court fees, but did not submit the separate prisoner authorization required for a detained person seeking that status.
Court’s Order
The court explained that the ordinary fees for filing a civil action are $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee. If a prisoner is allowed to proceed without prepayment, the Prison Litigation Reform Act requires the $350 filing fee to be collected in installments from the prisoner’s account. The $55 administrative fee does not apply to a person granted in forma pauperis status.
Within 30 days of the order, Blacknall must either pay the $405 in fees or complete and submit the attached prisoner authorization, labeled with docket number 25-CV-7747 (LTS). The authorization directs the facility holding him to deduct the $350 filing fee from his account in installments and send the required account statements to the court.
Effect of the Order
No summons will issue at this time. If Blacknall 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 without prejudice to refiling. The court also certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied in forma pauperis status for purposes of an appeal. The order does not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.