Richards v. Warner Music Group
- Laura Swain
- 1:22-cv-06200
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Richards v. Warner Music Group, Chief Judge Swain ordered Richards to pay fees or apply to proceed without prepayment.
Shane Richards, who must either pay the required fees or submit an application to proceed without prepaying them; the case will be dismissed if he does neither within 30 days.
What happened
Richards v. Warner Music Group began when Shane Richards filed a civil complaint without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepayment. The order identifies Richards as representing himself.
The court gave Richards 30 days to pay $402 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application explaining why he could not pay. The court directed that no summons issue yet and stated that the action will be dismissed if Richards does not comply.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain also ruled that an appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying appeal fees. The order did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Richards v. Warner Music Group · No. 1:22-cv-06200
- Laura Swain
- July 22, 2022
Background
Shane Richards filed this civil action against Warner Music Group and other defendants without paying the required fees and without submitting an application to proceed without prepaying fees. The opinion states that Richards is proceeding without a lawyer.
Court’s Order
The court ordered Richards, within 30 days of July 22, 2022, to do one of two things: pay $402 in fees, consisting of a $350 filing fee and a $52 administrative fee, or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying fees. If the court grants the application, Richards may proceed without paying the fees in advance.
The court directed that no summons issue at that time. If Richards complies, the case will be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures. If he does not comply within the allowed period, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal and Effect
Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified that an appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to proceed without prepaying fees for an appeal. The order addressed filing requirements and did not decide the merits of Richards’s claims.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.