Center for Judicial Accountability v. Legislative Correspondents Association
Center for Judicial Accountability, Inc. et al v. Legislative Correspondents Association, Inc. et al […]
- Kenneth Karas
- 7:25-cv-08370
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
Center for Judicial Accountability v. Legislative Correspondents Association: Judge Swain ordered payment or an IFP application within 30 days before processing.
The pro se plaintiff, whose case must satisfy the court’s fee or fee-waiver requirement before it will be processed.
What happened
In Center for Judicial Accountability, Inc. et al. v. Legislative Correspondents Association, Inc. et al., the plaintiff filed a civil action without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepaying them. The case is in the Southern District of New York under docket number 25-CV-8370 (LTS).
The court ordered the plaintiff, within 30 days, to pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. No summons will issue at this time, and the case will be processed only if the plaintiff complies. The court stated that the action will be dismissed if the plaintiff does not comply within the allowed time.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. This order did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Center for Judicial Accountability v. Legislative Correspondents Association · No. 7:25-cv-08370
- Kenneth Karas
- Oct. 22, 2025
Background
The plaintiff filed a civil action without paying the required fees and without submitting an application to proceed without prepaying fees. The opinion states that the plaintiff is proceeding without a lawyer.
Order to Pay Fees or Apply to Proceed Without Prepayment
The court explained that filing a civil action requires payment of $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee. Instead of paying those fees, a plaintiff may request permission to proceed without prepaying them by submitting a signed application. The court ordered the plaintiff to do one of these two things within 30 days of the order: pay the $405 or submit the attached application, labeled with docket number 25-CV-8370 (LTS).
The court stated that, if it grants the application, the plaintiff may proceed without prepaying fees. No summons will issue at this time. If the plaintiff complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If the plaintiff does not comply within the permitted time, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal
The court certified that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
Disposition
Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued an order directing the plaintiff to pay the required fees or submit an application to proceed without prepaying them. The order did not resolve the underlying claims.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.