FORMS TO BE COMPLETED BY PRISONERS FILING A CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 1983 or 28 U.S.C. § 1331 COVER SHEET THIS COVER SHEET CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FILING A COMPLAINT AND YOUR OBLIGATIONS IF YOU DO FILE A COMPLAINT. READ AND COMPLETE THE COVER SHEET BEFORE YOU PROCEED FURTHER. *************************************************************************** The cost for filing a civil rights complaint is $350.00. If you do not have sufficient funds to pay the full filing fee of $350.00 you need permission to proceed in forma pauperis. However, the court will assess and, when funds exist, immediately collect an initial partial filing fee of 20 percent of the greater of: 1) the average monthly deposits to your prison account for the past six months; or 2) the average monthly balance in your prison account for the past six months. Thereafter, the institution in which you are incarcerated will be required to make monthly payments of 20% of the preceding month's deposits credited to your account until the entire filing fee is paid. CAUTION: YOUR OBLIGATION TO PAY THE FULL FILING FEE WILL CONTINUE REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF YOUR CASE, EVEN IF YOUR COMPLAINT IS DISMISSED BEFORE THE DEFENDANTS ARE SERVED. *************************************************************************** 1. You shall file a complaint by completing and signing the attached complaint form and mailing it to the Clerk of Court along with the full filing fee of $350.00. (In the event attachments are needed to complete the allegations in the complaint, no more than three (3) pages of attachments will be allowed.) If you submit the full filing fee along with the complaint, you DO NOT have to complete the rest of the forms in this packet. Check here if you are submitting the filing fee with the complaint form. 2. If you cannot afford to pay the fee, you may file a complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 without paying the full filing fee at this time by completing the following: (1) Complaint Form; (2) Application To Proceed In Forma Pauperis; and (3) Authorization Form. You must properly complete, sign and submit all three standard forms or your complaint may be returned to you by the Clerk of Court. Check here if you are filing your complaint under 28 U.S.C. § 1915 without full prepayment of fees. Please Note: If your case is allowed to proceed and you are awarded compensatory damages against a correctional facility or an official or agent of a correctional facility, the damage award will first be used to satisfy any outstanding restitution orders pending. Before payment of any compensatory damages, reasonable attempts will be made to notify the victims of the crime for which you were convicted concerning payment of such damages. The restitution orders must be fully paid before any part of the award goes to you. DO NOT DETACH THE COVER SHEET FROM THE REST OF THE FORMS American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com