Tinsley v. Nathaniel Williwams a/k/a Chyna
Jason LaRoy P. Tinsley a/k/a Floss Vegas; Jason LaRoy LLC v. Nathaniel Williwams a/k/a Chyna, individually and doing business as, 050 DA Movement/Harlem Legend T.V.
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-08784
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Tinsley v. Williwams, Judge Swain dismissed the LLC’s claims without prejudice and ordered Tinsley to pay fees or authorize installments.
Jason LaRoy LLC’s claims were dismissed without prejudice, while Jason LaRoy P. Tinsley was required to pay the fees or submit a prisoner authorization within 30 days to avoid dismissal of the action.
What happened
In Jason LaRoy P. Tinsley a/k/a Floss Vegas; Jason LaRoy LLC v. Nathaniel Williwams a/k/a Chyna, Tinsley brought the case without a lawyer while detained. He asserted claims for himself and on behalf of Jason LaRoy LLC.
The court dismissed the LLC’s claims without prejudice because an LLC cannot proceed without a licensed lawyer or use the fee-waiver process available to individuals. Tinsley had submitted an application to proceed without paying fees upfront but had not submitted the required authorization for installment payments from his detention account.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Tinsley, within 30 days, either to pay the $405 in fees or submit the prisoner authorization. The clerk was directed to terminate Jason LaRoy LLC as a plaintiff, no summons would issue at that time, and the action would be dismissed if Tinsley did not comply. The court also denied fee-waiver status for any appeal from the order.
The detailed version
- Tinsley v. Nathaniel Williwams a/k/a Chyna · No. 1:25-cv-08784
- Laura Swain
- Oct. 28, 2025
Background
Jason LaRoy P. Tinsley, who was detained at the time of the order, filed this action without a lawyer. He asserted claims for himself and on behalf of Jason LaRoy LLC.
Claims on Behalf of Jason LaRoy LLC
The court explained that only a natural person may proceed without prepaying court fees under the federal fee-waiver statute. An entity such as an LLC also cannot represent itself in federal court and must appear through a licensed attorney. The court therefore dismissed Jason LaRoy LLC’s claims without prejudice to the entity proceeding with counsel and paying the required fees. The clerk was directed to terminate Jason LaRoy LLC as a plaintiff.
Prisoner Authorization
Tinsley submitted an application to proceed without prepaying fees, but he did not submit the separate authorization required from a detained or incarcerated plaintiff. That authorization permits the facility holding him to provide account records and deduct the $350 filing fee from his account in installments. The order states that the total fees for the action are $405, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, although the administrative fee does not apply to a person granted fee-waiver status.
Disposition
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered Tinsley, within 30 days of the order, either to pay the $405 in fees or complete and submit the attached prisoner authorization. No summons would issue at that time. If Tinsley complied, the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures; if he did not comply within the allowed time, the action would be dismissed. The court certified that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied fee-waiver status for purposes of an appeal. The order did not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.