Pettus v. Pettus
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-08136
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In James Pettus v. Seth Pettus, Judge Swain dismissed the action and denied status to appeal without paying filing fees.
The action brought by James Pettus against Seth Pettus and the other named defendants was dismissed. The ruling also affected James Pettus’s ability to appeal without paying filing fees.
What happened
James Pettus sued Seth Pettus and other defendants in the Southern District of New York. The judgment says the reasons for dismissing the action were given in an October 20, 2025, order, but that order is not included here.
The court dismissed the action. It also ruled that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied Pettus permission to appeal without paying filing fees.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the judgment on October 21, 2025.
The detailed version
- Pettus v. Pettus · No. 1:25-cv-08136
- Laura Swain
- Oct. 21, 2025
Disposition
The court entered a civil judgment dismissing James Pettus’s action against Seth Pettus and the other named defendants. The judgment states that the reasons for dismissal were provided in the court’s October 20, 2025, order, which is not included in the opinion text provided here. The judgment therefore does not explain the underlying basis for the dismissal.
The court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the judgment would not be taken in good faith. It consequently denied in forma pauperis status for purposes of an appeal, meaning Pettus could not appeal under that fee-waiver status. The judgment cites Coppedge v. United States, 369 U.S. 438, 444–45 (1962).
Judge
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain entered the judgment. The text does not state whether Pettus was represented by a lawyer.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.