Janssen v. Trump
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-09609
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Christine Janssen v. Donald Trump, Judge Swain ordered Janssen to pay fees or submit an IFP application within 30 days.
Christine Janssen, who must either pay the required fees or submit a signed IFP application within 30 days to avoid dismissal of the action.
What happened
Christine Janssen brought this action against Donald Trump and J.D. Vance without a lawyer, but she submitted her complaint without paying the required fees or filing an application to proceed without prepaying them.
The court ordered Janssen, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or to submit a signed application to proceed without prepayment. No summons will issue at this time, and the action will be dismissed if she does not comply.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued the order and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees, finding that any appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Janssen v. Trump · No. 1:25-cv-09609
- Laura Swain
- Nov. 20, 2025
Background
Christine Janssen filed this action against Donald Trump and J.D. Vance without a lawyer. She submitted the complaint without paying the required fees and without submitting an application to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP), meaning without prepaying court fees.
Order
The court directed Janssen, within 30 days of the order, to do one of two things: pay $405, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, or submit a signed IFP application. If the court grants the IFP application, Janssen may proceed without prepaying the fees. The application must identify docket number 25-CV-9609 (LTS).
The court directed that no summons issue at that time. It stated that the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures if Janssen complied, and that the action would be dismissed if she did not comply within the allowed time.
Appeal
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith. The court therefore denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal. The order did not address the merits of Janssen’s claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.