Moore v. United States of America
- Laura Swain
- 1:26-cv-05643
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 6
Ali Moore v. United States, Judge Swain directed payment or an IFP application and a signed certification before the case proceeds.
Ali Moore and the pending case. The case will not proceed to issuance of a summons or an answer unless Moore timely addresses the fee or IFP requirement and submits the required signed certification.
What happened
In Ali Moore v. United States of America and Central Intelligence Agency, the court said Ali Moore had not paid the required fees or submitted an application to proceed without prepaying them, and the complaint was unsigned. The court gave Moore 30 days to address both issues.
Moore must either pay $405 or submit the attached application to proceed without prepaying fees. Moore must also sign and submit the attached certification and warnings. The court said no summons or answer will issue yet.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain ordered these steps and said the action will be dismissed without prejudice if Moore does not comply within the allowed time. She also denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees because an appeal would not be taken in good faith.
The detailed version
- Moore v. United States of America · No. 1:26-cv-05643
- Laura Swain
- July 15, 2026
Background
Ali Moore brought this action without a lawyer. The complaint was submitted without the required fees or an application to proceed without prepaying fees, and it was unsigned.
Fees
The court explained that starting a civil action requires either payment of $405—consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee—or submission of an application to proceed without prepaying fees, commonly called an IFP application. The court directed Moore, within 30 days of the order, to pay the $405 or submit the attached IFP application labeled with docket number 26-CV-5643 (LTS). If the court grants the application, Moore may proceed without prepaying the fees.
Signature
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(a) requires an unrepresented party to sign pleadings and other filed papers. The court directed Moore, within the same 30-day period, to sign and submit the attached “Plaintiff’s Certification and Warnings.” The order explains that the document may be signed by hand, digitally, or by typing a name preceded by “/s/” when submitted by email.
Ruling and Effect
Judge Laura Taylor Swain directed Moore to complete both requirements within 30 days. No summons or answer will issue at this time. If Moore complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures; if Moore does not comply within the allowed time, the action will be dismissed without prejudice. The court also certified that any appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal.
Read the full 6-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.