Cortez v. Kijakazi

United States District Court for the Southern District of California

Cortez v. Kijakazi

Trial Court Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 EMILIA C., Case No.: 23-CV-350-DEB

12 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING APPLICATION 13 v. TO PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS 14 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, Commissioner of

Social Security, 15 [DKT. NO. 2] Defendant. 16

17 Before the Court is Plaintiff Emilia C.’s Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. 18 Dkt. No. 2. For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the Application. 19 A court may authorize the commencement of a suit without prepayment of fees if 20 the plaintiff submits an affidavit, including a statement of all his or her assets, showing that 21 he or she is unable to pay the filing fee. See

28 U.S.C. § 1915

(a). The affidavit must “state 22 the facts as to [the] affiant's poverty with some particularity, definiteness and certainty.” 23 United States v. McQuade,

647 F.2d 938, 940

(9th Cir. 1981) (internal quotations omitted). 24 A party need not be completely destitute to proceed in forma pauperis. Adkins v. E.I. 25 DuPont de Nemours & Co.,

335 U.S. 331

, 339–340 (1948). An affidavit is sufficient if it 26 shows that the applicant cannot pay the fee “and still be able to provide himself [or herself] 27 and dependents with the necessities of life.”

Id.

(internal quotations omitted). 28 1 Plaintiff is unemployed and has limited income and assets. She receives public 2 || assistance benefits from Cash Aid of approximately $390.00 per month. Dkt. No. 2 at 2. 3 ||She also receives $250.00 per month in food stamps. Jd. Her assets are approximately 4 $26.00 in cash and a checking account with an approximate balance of $12.00. Jd. Plaintiff 5 || lists a 2009 Chevy Cobalt worth $2,000.00 as “[a]ssets owned by you or your spouse.”

Id.

6 3. Her monthly rent is $150.00. Jd. at 4. Her other monthly expenses of $655.00 consist 7 household utilities, food, laundry, car insurance, and transportation. /d. at 4—5. 8 Based on the foregoing, the Court finds Plaintiff has sufficiently shown she lacks the 9 || financial resources to pay her filing fee and GRANTS her Application. 10 IT IS SO ORDERED. 11 Dated: March 16, 2023 — 1 Dando oa 13 Honorable Daniel E. Butcher United States Magistrate Judge 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Reference

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