Lewis v. Lines
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-09620
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Andre Lewis v. Greyhound Lines, Judge Swain ordered payment or an amended fee-waiver application before the case could proceed.
Andre Lewis’s case was placed on hold pending payment of the filing fees or submission of an amended IFP application. Greyhound Lines, Inc. was not required to respond to the merits at this stage.
What happened
In Andre Lewis v. Greyhound Lines, Inc., Andre Lewis filed the case without a lawyer and asked to proceed without paying filing fees. He said he was out of work because of an injury and had no income or money in his accounts, but he did not answer all required questions about how he was paying living expenses.
The court ordered Lewis, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit an amended application explaining why he could not pay. The court also said it would not issue a summons or consider his other motions, including his request for an order protecting him while the case proceeds, until he complied. If he did not comply, the action would be dismissed.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also denied fee-free status for any appeal, certifying that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith. The order did not decide the underlying claims against Greyhound Lines, Inc.
The detailed version
- Lewis v. Lines · No. 1:25-cv-09620
- Laura Swain
- Dec. 2, 2025
Background
Andre Lewis brought this action without a lawyer. He submitted an application to proceed without prepaying filing fees, commonly called an application to proceed in forma pauperis, or IFP. Lewis stated that he was out of work because of an injury and was not currently receiving income. He also reported no income from any source during the prior 12 months, no money in his accounts, and no assets. He listed monthly loan payments, utility costs, and child-support obligations, and said he was behind on those expenses.
Court’s analysis
The court explained that a civil action requires payment of $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee, unless the court authorizes the plaintiff to proceed without prepaying those fees. The court found Lewis’s IFP responses insufficient to determine whether he could pay. In particular, he had not answered several questions, including how he was paying his living expenses despite reporting no income.
Order and effect
The court ordered Lewis to do one of two things within 30 days of the order: pay the $405 in fees or submit an amended IFP application addressing the identified deficiencies and answering all applicable questions. If the court grants the amended application, Lewis may proceed without prepaying the fees. No summons would issue at that time, and the court would not address Lewis’s other motions, including his motion for preliminary injunctive relief, until he paid the fees or submitted a sufficient IFP application. The court stated that the action would be dismissed if Lewis failed to comply. Judge Laura Taylor Swain also certified that any appeal would not be taken in good faith and denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal. The order did not reach the merits of Lewis’s claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.