Downey v. US of America
- Beth Freeman
- 5:19-cv-04200
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 1
In Downey v. United States of America, Judge Freeman denied Mark Downey’s request for free copies of documents from his closed case.
Mark Downey, who was denied free copies of documents filed in his closed case.
What happened
Downey v. United States of America concerned Mark Downey’s request for free copies of all documents filed in his closed case. He was representing himself and argued that he should receive the copies because the court had allowed him to proceed without paying court fees.
The court explained that parties ordinarily do not receive free copies of case documents and that permission to proceed without paying fees does not create such an entitlement. Downey also did not show that he needed the documents to pursue an appeal or that he had another specific need justifying an exception.
Judge Beth Labson Freeman denied Downey’s request.
The detailed version
- Downey v. US of America · No. 5:19-cv-04200
- Beth Freeman
- May 27, 2020
Background
Mark Downey, who was representing himself, asked the court to provide free copies of all documents filed in this closed case. He argued that he was entitled to free copies because the court had allowed him to proceed without paying court fees.
Court’s reasoning
The court stated that the clerk does not ordinarily provide free copies of case documents to parties. It also explained that permission to proceed without paying court fees does not entitle a party to free copies from the court. Downey did not show that he needed the documents to proceed with an appeal, and he did not identify another specific need that would justify departing from the ordinary rule.
Disposition
The court denied Downey’s request for copies free of charge. Judge Beth Labson Freeman issued the order on May 27, 2020.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.