The opinion
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
TIMOTHY R. PETROZZI, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No. 25-2372 (UNA)
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MURIEL BOWSER, et al., )
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Defendants. )
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on initial review of plaintiff’s application for leave to
proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 2, and pro se complaint, ECF No. 1. 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 alleges that his “cellular device . . . was ‘Phished, Hacked and Compromised,’”
Compl. at 3, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, id. This appears to be the complaint’s sole
understandable allegation. Otherwise, notwithstanding its length, the complaint fails to meet the
minimal pleading standard set forth in Rule 8(a). It simply does not contain a short and plain
statement showing Plaintiff’s entitlement to relief, and the exhibits he attaches to the complaint
shed no light on the nature or substance of an actual legal claim. There are far too few cogent
factual allegations, and no defendant has proper notice of the claim(s) plaintiff is bringing.
An Order is issued separately.
DATE: September 2, 2025 /s/
JIA M. COBB
United States District Judge
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