Lewis v. The Walt Disney Company et al

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
EASTERN DIVISION
JACK K. LEWIS, III, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
vs. ) Case No. 4:25-cv-1894-MTS
)
THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, et al., )
)
Defendants. )
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Federal law requires those instituting a civil action to pay a filing fee. See 28 U.S.C.
§ 1914(a). If the litigant is unable to do so, a litigant may seek to proceed in forma
pauperis, that is, to proceed without prepayment of fees. See id. § 1915(a)(1). Plaintiff
Jack K. Lewis, III followed the latter approach and filed an Application to Proceed in
District Court without Prepaying Fees or Costs. Doc. [2]. The problem is that Plaintiff
ignored nearly every question on the Application. See id. He provided no answer to
questions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The Court therefore cannot determine whether to allow him
to proceed in forma pauperis. See Mills v. City of St. Louis, 4:25-cv-1219-MTS, 2025 WL
2374293, at *1 (E.D. Mo. Aug. 13, 2025).
The Court will provide Plaintiff thirty (30) days by which to pay the $405 filing fee
or fully complete and file another application to proceed in district court without prepaying
fees or costs. See id. The Court reminds Plaintiff that the declarations he makes on the
Application are made under penalty of perjury. See 18 U.S.C. § 1621 (providing penalties
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for perjury); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b)–(c) (allowing for sanctions for
misrepresentations made to the court).
Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s Application to Proceed in District
Court Without Prepaying Fees or Costs, Doc. [2], is DENIED. No later than Thursday,
February 05, 2026, Plaintiff must pay the $405 filing fee or carefully complete another
application to proceed in district court without prepaying fees or costs, in its entirety, and
file it with the Court.
Plaintiff’s failure to comply with this Order will result in the dismissal of this
action without prejudice and without further notice.
Dated this 6th day of January 2026.
MATTHEW T. SCHELP
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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