(See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12, 55; 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2), 1915A; 42 U.S.C.
§ 1997e(g))
(a) In any civil rights or Federal Tort Claims Act action filed by a prisoner, as
defined by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(h), a former prisoner, or civil detainee, where
the complaint has survived preliminary review pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
§§ 1915(e)(2) or 1915A through a Merit Review Order, unless otherwise
ordered by the Court, the defendant(s) shall timely file an appropriate
responsive pleading and shall not waive the filing of a responsive pleading
Page 17 of 65
under 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(g).
(b) The answer and subsequent pleadings will be to the issues as stated in the
Merit Review Order. Defendant(s) need not parse the complaint and
respond to it unless: (1) the Court indicates a Merit Review Order will not
be entered or (2) the complaint was filed by an attorney.
