UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

) PANKAJ MERCHIA, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Civil Action No. 23-10494-MPK ) JOHN KEOUGH, et al., ) ) Defendants. ) )

ORDER

May 3, 2023

Kelley, M.J. On March 2, 2023, plaintiff Pankaj Merchia, a resident of Florida proceeding pro se, filed a civil complaint accompanied by motions for leave to file electronically, for limited assistance and to pay the filing fee by credit card. Docket Nos. 1 – 4. This action was randomly assigned to this court. Docket No. 5. Upon review of the pleadings, the court rules as follows: 1. Plaintiff’s motion to make payment of filing fee by credit card (Docket No. 4) is DENIED. The filing fee for a civil complaint is $402.00. The fee schedule can be found on the court’s website at www.mad.uscourts.gov/finance/fees.htm. As noted by plaintiff in his motion, non-attorneys may not make on-line credit card payments. If plaintiff wishes to proceed with this action, within 21 days of the date of this Order, he must either (1) pay the $402.00 filing fee; or (2) move for leave to proceed without prepayment of the filing fee. 2. Plaintiff’s motion for access to limited assistance (Docket No. 3) is DENIED as moot. In his motion, plaintiff seeks permission from the court to hire, at his own expense, one or more librarians, paralegals and attorneys. Although a civil plaintiff lacks a constitutional right to a free attorney, DesRosiers v. Moran,

(1st Cir.

1991), a party does not need permission from the court to hire an attorney or seek legal assistance. 3. Plaintiff’s motion for leave to electronically file (Docket No. 2) is ALLOWED on the condition that plaintiff satisfies all applicable training and other requirements for e- filing by pro se litigants. Pro se litigants must have an individual PACER account for e-filing. Plaintiff may register for an individual PACER for e-filing through https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. If plaintiff already has an individual PACER account for e-filing, plaintiff does not have to register again. Pro se litigant e- filing instructions are available at https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen- pro-se.htm.

SO ORDERED.

/s/ M. Page Kelley M. PAGE KELLEY United States Magistrate Judge