Grandel v. Doe
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-06997
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Victor Grandel v. John Doe, Judge Swain dismissed the complaint without prejudice after Victor Grandel neither paid filing fees nor submitted required forms.
Victor Grandel's complaint was dismissed without prejudice because he did not submit the required forms or pay the filing fee. John Doe was not otherwise addressed in the ruling.
What happened
In Victor Grandel v. John Doe, the court had ordered Victor Grandel to submit forms requesting permission to proceed without paying the filing fee and authorization required from a prisoner, or to pay the $405 filing fee. The order warned that failing to comply would lead to dismissal.
Grandel did not submit the forms or pay the fee. The opinion does not describe the underlying claims against John Doe.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain dismissed the complaint without prejudice, meaning the dismissal did not bar refiling. Judge Swain also denied permission to appeal without paying fees and directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment.
The detailed version
- Grandel v. Doe · No. 1:25-cv-06997
- Laura Swain
- Oct. 2, 2025
Background
By an order dated August 27, 2025, the Court directed Victor Grandel to do one of two things within 30 days: submit a completed application to proceed without paying the filing fee and a prisoner authorization, or pay the $405 in filing fees required to file a civil action. The Court warned that failure to comply would result in dismissal of the complaint.
Court’s ruling
The Court found that Grandel had not submitted the application and prisoner authorization and had not paid the fees. It therefore dismissed the complaint without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914 and 1915.
The Court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying fees. It directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment. The opinion does not state what claims Grandel asserted against John Doe.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.