Pittman v. United states Government
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-01127
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Pittman v. United States Government, Judge Swain ordered an unsigned complaint corrected within 30 days or the action will be dismissed.
Nadira A. Pittman and the United States Government.
What happened
In Pittman v. United States Government, Nadira A. Pittman filed the case without a lawyer, but the complaint was not signed. The court explained that an unrepresented party must personally sign court papers.
The court ordered Pittman to submit the complaint’s signature page within 30 days. The court said no summons would issue yet and that the case would be processed if she complied; if she did not, the action would be dismissed.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain also denied fee-free status for an appeal, certifying that an appeal would not be taken in good faith. The order did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Pittman v. United states Government · No. 1:24-cv-01127
- Laura Swain
- Feb. 16, 2024
Background
Nadira A. Pittman brought this action without a lawyer. The complaint she submitted was unsigned. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(a) and the Southern District of New York’s local rules require an unrepresented party to sign a complaint and other court papers.
Court’s order
The court directed Pittman to resubmit the complaint’s signature page within 30 days of the order. If she submits it by mail or in person, it must contain an original signature. If she submits it by email under the court’s electronic-filing rules, she may use an authorized electronic signature or a typed name preceded by “/s/” in the signature block. A typed name without “/s/” in the signature block is insufficient.
The court ordered that no summons issue at that time. If Pittman complies, the Clerk’s Office will process the case under its procedures. If she does not comply within the permitted time, the action will be dismissed.
Appeal and effect
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied fee-free status for purposes of an appeal. The order addressed the complaint’s missing signature and filing requirements; it did not decide the merits of Pittman’s underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.