Davitt v. Chatholic Charities

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

Davitt v. Chatholic Charities

Trial Court Opinion

                 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                            
                     DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                               


Michael Davitt,                       Case No. 23-cv-3401 (DWF/DJF)      

               Plaintiff,                                                

v.                                            ORDER                      

Chatholic Charities et al,                                               

              Defendants.                                                



    This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Michael Davitt’s Motion for costs of copies of 
previous complaints (“Motion”) (ECF No. 6).  The Motion requests “cost amount of copies of 
prior 2 complaints on this issue” so that he can review them to respond to the Court’s Order to 
Show Cause (see ECF No. 3).  But the in forma pauperis (“IFP”) statute does not authorize 
payment of copy costs for exhibit-only filings, see 
28 U.S.C. § 1915
; Mendez v. Kallis, 20-cv-0924 
(ECT/ECW), 
2020 WL 2573232
, at *2 (D. Minn. Apr. 20, 2020) (collecting cases applying section 
1915 to non-prisoner plaintiffs), report and recommendation adopted, 
2020 WL 2572524
 (D. 
Minn. May 21, 2020), aff'd, , 
2020 WL 7253502
 (8th Cir. Sept. 18, 2020); Walker v. Fed. Bureau 
of Prisons, 1:11-cv-01317 (JHH), 
2012 WL 4711898
, at *2 (N.D. Ala. Sept. 27, 2012) (noting that 
section 1915 makes no provision for litigation expenses other than the reproduction of case records 
and transcripts), and Plaintiff offers no other legal basis for prepayment of costs.  Moreover, 
Plaintiff’s IFP Application remains pending, and Plaintiff will not be entitled to reimbursement for 
any costs under the IFP statute unless and until his application is granted.  Finally, the Court notes 
that the requested information (prior complaints) is unlikely to be responsive to the Court’s Order 
to Show Cause, which requests that he submit specific allegations regarding his out-of-pocket costs 
for any medical bills he paid in connection with his claims against Defendants (see ECF No. 3).  
The Court accordingly denies Mr. Davitt’s Motion.                         
    SO ORDERED.                                                          

 Dated: January 24, 2024         s/ Dulce J. Foster                      
                                 Dulce J. Foster                         
                                 United States Magistrate Judge          

Trial Court Opinion

                 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT                            
                     DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA                               


Michael Davitt,                       Case No. 23-cv-3401 (DWF/DJF)      

               Plaintiff,                                                

v.                                            ORDER                      

Chatholic Charities et al,                                               

              Defendants.                                                



    This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Michael Davitt’s Motion for costs of copies of 
previous complaints (“Motion”) (ECF No. 6).  The Motion requests “cost amount of copies of 
prior 2 complaints on this issue” so that he can review them to respond to the Court’s Order to 
Show Cause (see ECF No. 3).  But the in forma pauperis (“IFP”) statute does not authorize 
payment of copy costs for exhibit-only filings, see 
28 U.S.C. § 1915
; Mendez v. Kallis, 20-cv-0924 
(ECT/ECW), 
2020 WL 2573232
, at *2 (D. Minn. Apr. 20, 2020) (collecting cases applying section 
1915 to non-prisoner plaintiffs), report and recommendation adopted, 
2020 WL 2572524
 (D. 
Minn. May 21, 2020), aff'd, , 
2020 WL 7253502
 (8th Cir. Sept. 18, 2020); Walker v. Fed. Bureau 
of Prisons, 1:11-cv-01317 (JHH), 
2012 WL 4711898
, at *2 (N.D. Ala. Sept. 27, 2012) (noting that 
section 1915 makes no provision for litigation expenses other than the reproduction of case records 
and transcripts), and Plaintiff offers no other legal basis for prepayment of costs.  Moreover, 
Plaintiff’s IFP Application remains pending, and Plaintiff will not be entitled to reimbursement for 
any costs under the IFP statute unless and until his application is granted.  Finally, the Court notes 
that the requested information (prior complaints) is unlikely to be responsive to the Court’s Order 
to Show Cause, which requests that he submit specific allegations regarding his out-of-pocket costs 
for any medical bills he paid in connection with his claims against Defendants (see ECF No. 3).  
The Court accordingly denies Mr. Davitt’s Motion.                         
    SO ORDERED.                                                          

 Dated: January 24, 2024         s/ Dulce J. Foster                      
                                 Dulce J. Foster                         
                                 United States Magistrate Judge          

Reference

Status
Unknown