Order Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
March 26, 2014 Robert P. Young, Jr.,
Chief Justice
Michael F. Cavanagh
Stephen J. Markman
Mary Beth Kelly
148977 (25) Brian K. Zahra
Bridget M. McCormack
David F. Viviano,
GREGORY BROADENAX, Justices
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v SC: 148977
COA: 318178
ST. LOUIS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY WARDEN,
Defendant-Appellee.
___________________________________
On order of the Chief Justice, plaintiff’s motion to waive fees is DENIED because
MCL 600.2963 requires that a prisoner pursuing a civil action be liable for filing fees.
Ordinarily, MCL 600.2963(8) would preclude plaintiff from seeking leave to appeal in
this Court because of an inability to provide the initial partial fee. However, applying
that statutory section to bar plaintiff from initiating an application for leave to appeal
from the original complaint for habeas corpus filed in the court of appeals would violate
the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Smith v Bennett, 365 US
708; 81 S Ct 895; 6 L Ed 2d 39 (1961).
The Clerk shall furnish two copies of this order to plaintiff. Plaintiff has 21 days
from the certification of this order to submit one of those copies to this Court. By doing
that, plaintiff becomes responsible for paying the $375 filing fee. MCL 600.2963.
Failure to timely submit the order will result in the appeal not being docketed in this
Court. The Clerk shall retain plaintiff’s pleadings until he timely submits the order or the
21-day period for doing so has expired.
Plaintiff is not required to pay an initial partial fee at the time he submits the order
to this Court. The Department of Corrections is directed to collect amounts equal to 50
percent of the deposits made to plaintiff’s account each month and remit $375 to this
Court when that full amount is collected. Plaintiff may not file further appeals in this
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Court from civil cases initiated by him until the entry fee in this appeal is paid in
full. MCL 600.2963(8).
I, Larry S. Royster, Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court, certify that the
foregoing is a true and complete copy of the order entered at the direction of the Court.
March 26, 2014
jam
Clerk