The opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
LIAM ALEXANDER, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No. 24-2551 (UNA)
)
MPD, )
)
Defendant. )
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on review of plaintiff’s pro se complaint, ECF No. 1, and
application for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 2. The Court will grant the in forma
pauperis application and dismiss the complaint without prejudice.
Complaints filed by pro se litigants are held to “less stringent standards” than those
applied to pleadings drafted by lawyers. Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520 (1972). Still, pro
se litigants must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Jarrell v. Tisch, 656 F.
Supp. 237, 239 (D.D.C. 1987). Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requires that a
complaint contain a short and plain statement of the grounds upon which the court’s jurisdiction
depends, a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief,
and a demand for judgment for the relief the pleader seeks. FED. R. CIV. P. 8(a). It “does not
require detailed factual allegations, but it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-
unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quotations
omitted). The Rule 8 standard ensures that defendants receive fair notice of the claim being
asserted so that they can prepare a responsive answer, mount an adequate defense, and determine
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whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. See Brown v. Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C.
1977).
Plaintiff, of Albany, New York, allegedly was arrested by an unidentified officer of the
Metropolitan Police Department. The complaint alleges no facts whatsoever regarding the date
of plaintiff’s arrest, the circumstances under which the officer arrested him, or the harassment
and abuse plaintiff supposedly experienced. Similarly, there are no facts regarding the
“catastrophic personal and professional damages as well as life-threatening medical
complications,” Compl. at 4, allegedly sustained as a result of the arrest, or supporting an award
of $50 million, see id.
As drafted, the complaint fails to meet the minimal pleading standard set forth in Rule
8(a). An Order will issue separately.
DATE: October 15, 2024 CARL J. NICHOLS
United States District Judge
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