The opinion
FILED
6/29/2020
Clerk, U.S. District & Bankruptcy
Court for the District of Columbia
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
LOUIS A. BANKS et al., )
)
Plaintiffs, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No. 20-1598 (UNA)
)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA et al., )
)
Defendants. )
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on its initial 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 case because the complaint fails to meet the
minimal pleading requirements of Rule 8(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Complaints filed by pro se litigants are held to less stringent standards than those applied
to formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. See 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) 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). This standard aims to give fair notice to each
defendant of the claims being asserted sufficiently to prepare a responsive answer, launch an
adequate defense, and determine whether the doctrine of res judicata applies. Brown v.
Califano, 75 F.R.D. 497, 498 (D.D.C. 1977). In addition, a “complaint must contain sufficient
factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft
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v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570
(2007)).
Plaintiff is a District of Columbia resident who is suing on behalf of himself and his
minor child. See Compl. Caption. The complaint contains a long list of defendants, see Compl.
at ECF pp. 2-3, 4, and conclusory statements, but no discernible allegations of fact. Moreover,
the complaint does not comply with the local rules of this Court, requiring “[t]hose filing pro se
in forma pauperis [to] provide in the caption the name and full residence address or official
address of each party.” LCvR 5.1(c)(1). Therefore, this case will be dismissed by separate
order.
SIGNED: EMMET G. SULLIVAN
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
DATE: June 29, 2020
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