Morrison v. City of Minneapolis and Christopher Steward
- Paul Magnuson
- 0:16-cv-02242
- U.S. District Court · District of Minnesota
- 2
Counsel of record per CourtListener. Firm names are approximate.
In Morrison v. City of Minneapolis, Judge Magnuson denied Morrison’s application to proceed without fees on appeal because the appeal was not taken in good faith.
Alan Morrison’s request to proceed on appeal without prepaying fees, costs, or security was denied. The order did not impose a new merits ruling on the defendants.
What happened
In Alan Morrison v. City of Minneapolis and Christopher Steward, Morrison asked to appeal without paying court fees in this long-closed case. The court explained that this status is available only when a person cannot pay and the appeal is taken in good faith.
The court noted that it had granted summary judgment to the defendants in 2018 and had recently told Morrison that he had shown no reason for relief. It had also warned him that it would not approve fee-free status if he requested it for an appeal.
Judge Paul A. Magnuson denied Morrison’s application to proceed without paying fees on appeal. The order did not decide the merits of any new appeal.
The detailed version
- Morrison v. City of Minneapolis and Christopher Steward · No. 0:16-cv-02242
- Paul Magnuson
- Apr. 13, 2026
Background
This order concerns Alan Morrison’s application to proceed without paying appellate fees, costs, or security. The application was filed under 28 U.S.C. § 1915.
The court stated that it may allow a person to proceed without prepaying those amounts based on an affidavit showing an inability to pay, describing the appeal, and explaining why the person believes he is entitled to relief. But the court must deny that status if the appeal is not taken in good faith. The opinion explains that an appeal is not taken in good faith when it is factually or legally frivolous.
The court noted that it had entered summary judgment for the defendants in 2018. It also stated that it had recently reiterated to Morrison that he had shown no reason for relief in the long-closed case and had told him that it would not grant fee-free status for an appeal if he requested it.
Ruling
The court denied Morrison’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis on Appeal, listed as Docket No. 145. The order did not address the merits of any new appeal. The opinion does not separately describe the arguments Morrison intended to raise on appeal.
Disposition
The application was DENIED. This was a ruling on appellate-fee status, not a new decision on the underlying claims against the City of Minneapolis or Christopher Steward.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.