# BROWN v. ORTIZ

> District Court, D. New Jersey · October 30, 2019

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10267207

## Case

- **Court:** District Court, D. New Jersey
- **Decided:** October 30, 2019
- **Opinion:** 100trialcourt
- **Cited by:** 0 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

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## Opinion text

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
______________________________
:
SHAWN LAVON BROWN, :
:
Petitioner, : Civ. No. 19-19456 (NLH)
:
v. : OPINION
:
:
WARDEN DAVID ORTIZ, :
:
Respondent. :
______________________________:

APPEARANCE:
Shawn Lavon Brown, No. 63717-019
FCI Fort Dix
Inmate Mail/Parcels
EAST: P.O. BOX 2000
Fort Dix, NJ 08640
Petitioner Pro se

HILLMAN, District Judge
Petitioner Shawn Lavon Brown seeks to bring a petition for
writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 without
prepayment of fees or security and seeks to proceed in forma
pauperis. See ECF No. 1 (petition).
Filing Fee
The filing fee for a petition for writ of habeas corpus is
$5.00. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 54.3(a), the filing fee is
required to be paid at the time the petition is presented for
filing. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule 81.2(b), whenever a
prisoner submits a petition for writ of habeas corpus and seeks
to proceed in forma pauperis, that petitioner must submit (a) an
affidavit setting forth information which establishes that the
petitioner is unable to pay the fees and costs of the
proceedings, and (b) a certification signed by an authorized

officer of the institution certifying (1) the amount presently
on deposit in the prisoner’s prison account and, (2) the
greatest amount on deposit in the prisoner’s institutional
account during the six-month period prior to the date of the
certification. If the institutional account of the petitioner
exceeds $200, the petitioner shall not be considered eligible to
proceed in forma pauperis. L. Civ. R. 81.2(c).
Here, Petitioner has failed to either include the $5 filing
fee or an application to proceed in forma pauperis. Petitioner
must either submit the $5 filing fee or a complete application
to proceed in forma pauperis for his habeas petition to be
considered.

Form
Under the local rules, “[u]nless prepared by counsel,
petitions to this Court for a writ of habeas corpus . . . shall
be in writing (legibly handwritten in ink or typewritten),
signed by the petitioner or movant, on forms supplied by the
Clerk.” L. Civ. R. 81.2(a). Petitioner did not submit his
habeas petition on the Clerk’s form.
Conclusion
For the reason set forth above, the Clerk of Court will be
ordered to administratively terminate this Petition without
prejudice.1 Petitioner will be granted leave to apply to re-open

within thirty (30) days, by paying the filing fee of $5.00 or
submitted a complete in forma pauperis application. He must
also submit the appropriate Clerk’s form. An appropriate Order
will be entered.

Dated: October 30, 2019 s/ Noel L. Hillman
At Camden, New Jersey NOEL L. HILLMAN, U.S.D.J.

1 Such an administrative termination is not a “dismissal” for
purposes of the statute of limitations, and if the case is re-
opened pursuant to the terms of the accompanying Order, it is
not subject to the statute of limitations time bar if it was
originally submitted timely. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266
(1988) (prisoner mailbox rule); Papotto v. Hartford Life & Acc.
Ins. Co., 731 F.3d 265, 275-76 (3d Cir. 2013) (collecting cases
and explaining that a District Court retains jurisdiction over,
and can re-open, administratively closed cases).

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10267207. Public record. Not legal advice.
