Harold Warren v.
Harold Warren v.
Opinion
ALD-083 NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT ___________
No. 23-1145 ___________
IN RE: HAROLD WARREN, Petitioner ____________________________________
On a Petition for Writ of Mandamus from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (D.N.J. Civ. No. 3:22-cv-01790) ____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Rule 21, Fed. R. App. P. February 2, 2023
Before: HARDIMAN, RESTREPO, and BIBAS, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed February 24, 2023) _________
OPINION* _________
PER CURIAM
Proceeding pro se, Harold Warren filed suit against the World Trade Center
Health Program and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health claiming,
among other things, that those entities have denied him healthcare benefits and access to
medical records. Using Form AO 239, Warren applied in the District Court to proceed
* This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not constitute binding precedent. with his suit in forma pauperis (IFP), i.e. without prepayment of the filing fee. In
addition, Warren filed a motion for appointment of pro bono counsel.
The District Court entered an order denying Warren’s counsel motion “without
prejudice” to renewal once the matter of filing fees was resolved. The District Court later
entered an order denying Warren’s IFP application because it was incomplete. The
District Court provided Warren with a new Form AO 239 and directed him to properly
fill it out or else pay the full filing fee.
Instead of submitting a completed Form AO 239, however, Warren next filed a
completed Appellate Form 4, which is to be used when a litigant seeks to proceed IFP on
appeal. The District Court responded with a text order noting that Warren “inadvertently
completed the incorrect form,” and directing him to file a “new IFP application on form
AO 239 by February 12, 2023.”
Warren complied with the District Court’s latest directive. Simultaneously,
though, he filed the petition for a writ of mandamus now before this Court, contending
that the District Court mishandled his IFP applications and “wrongfully terminated” his
case. Warren’s petition also contains argument concerning the merits of the underlying
suit, accusations of bias and inordinate delay by the District Court, and a request for
appointment of counsel.
We conclude, after careful review of the record and Warren’s petition, that he
satisfies none of the criteria for mandamus relief. See Hollingsworth v. Perry,
558 U.S. 183, 190(2010) (per curiam) (requiring “that (1) no other adequate means [exist] to attain
the relief he desires, (2) the party’s right to issuance of the writ is clear and indisputable,
2 and (3) the writ is appropriate under the circumstances”) (citation and internal quotation
marks omitted); see also SecuraComm Consulting, Inc. v. Securacom Inc.,
224 F.3d 273, 278(3d Cir. 2000) (noting the oft-stated proposition “that a party’s displeasure with legal
rulings does not form an adequate basis for recusal”); Madden v. Myers,
102 F.3d 74, 79(3d Cir. 1996) (denying mandamus petition in part because adjudicatory delay must “rise
to the level of a denial of due process” to be redressable with a writ of mandamus).
Accordingly, the mandamus petition will be denied. Furthermore, Warren’s request for
counsel is denied.
3
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished