Soloman v. Rikers Island DOC
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-07079
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
Soloman v. Rikers Island DOC; Judge Swain dismissed the complaint without prejudice because Soloman neither paid the filing fee nor submitted required forms.
Matthew Soloman’s complaint was dismissed without prejudice because he did not submit the required filing forms or pay the filing fees. The court also denied him permission to appeal without paying the appeal fees. The opinion does not resolve the claims against Rikers Island DOC or Bob Barker Company Inc.
What happened
In Matthew Soloman v. Rikers Island DOC and Bob Barker Company Inc., the court had ordered Soloman to submit forms requesting permission to proceed without paying the filing fee and authorizing payment from a prisoner account, or to pay the required fees. The order warned that failing to do so would result in dismissal.
Soloman did not submit the required forms or pay the fees. The opinion does not address the underlying claims against the defendants.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain dismissed the complaint without prejudice. She also denied permission to appeal without paying the appeal fees, finding that an appeal would not be taken in good faith, and directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment.
The detailed version
- Soloman v. Rikers Island DOC · No. 1:25-cv-07079
- Laura Swain
- Nov. 18, 2025
Background
The court had previously ordered Matthew Soloman to submit a completed application to proceed without paying the filing fee and a prisoner authorization, or to pay the $405 required to file a civil action. The September 8, 2025 order stated that failing to comply would result in dismissal of the complaint.
Court’s ruling
The court found that Soloman had not submitted the application and authorization and had not paid the filing fees. It therefore dismissed the complaint without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1914 and 1915. “Without prejudice” means the dismissal itself does not bar a later filing, although the opinion does not discuss any other requirements for refiling.
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without paying the required fees. The court also directed the Clerk of Court to enter judgment. The opinion does not decide the underlying claims against Rikers Island DOC or Bob Barker Company Inc.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.