Dugas v. State of New York
John Dugas v. State of New York; City of New York; Departments of Government; Department of Human and Health Services
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-08733
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In John Dugas v. State of New York, Judge Swain dismissed the action and denied fee-waiver status for any appeal.
John Dugas’s action was dismissed, and he was denied permission to appeal without paying the required filing fees.
What happened
John Dugas brought this action against the State of New York, the City of New York, Departments of Government, and the Department of Human and Health Services. The judgment provides no factual or legal background and refers to a November 25, 2025 order for the reasons supporting dismissal.
The court dismissed the action. It did not state that the dismissal was with or without prejudice.
The court also ruled that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied John Dugas permission to proceed without paying the appeal filing fees. Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the judgment on November 26, 2025.
The detailed version
- Dugas v. State of New York · No. 1:24-cv-08733
- Laura Swain
- Nov. 26, 2025
Background
The provided civil judgment identifies John Dugas as the plaintiff and the State of New York, the City of New York, Departments of Government, and the Department of Human and Health Services as defendants. It contains no description of the claims, facts, or arguments. Instead, it refers to the reasons stated in a November 25, 2025 order, which is not included in the provided text.
Ruling
The court dismissed the action. The judgment does not say that the dismissal was with prejudice or without prejudice. The court also certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that an appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied in forma pauperis status—that is, permission to appeal without paying the required filing fees—for the purpose of an appeal.
Effect
The judgment dismisses John Dugas’s action and denies the requested fee-waiver status for an appeal. The provided judgment does not explain the basis for dismissal or address the merits of any claim.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.