(a) Complaints and Petitions. All prisoner complaints, petitions, or
motions challenging a conviction or sentence shall be signed under penalty of
perjury and legibly written or typewritten on approved court forms available on the
court’s website or from the clerk’s office. Documents that do not substantially
conform to court forms may be stricken or dismissed.
(b) In Forma Pauperis Applications. Prisoners seeking in forma
pauperis status shall file a complete “Application to Proceed In District Court
Without Prepaying Fees or Costs” (AO 240), available on the court’s website or
from the clerk’s office. The application shall include:
(1) A certification of the warden or other appropriate officer of the
institution in which the prisoner is confined as to the amount of money or
securities on deposit to the prisoner’s credit;
(2) A copy of the prisoner’s account statement (or institutional
equivalent) for the six (6) month period preceding the filing of the action;
and
(3) The prisoner’s consent to the collection of fees.
The court will take no action on motions or other requests filed in prisoner
cases until payment is received or in forma pauperis status is granted.
