FEDERAL DECISIONS SUPPORTING PRO-SE LITIGANTS
If you are a pro-se litigant facing a motion to dismiss or some other
ruling because of a technicality or because of some real or imagined
flaw allegedly found in your complaint, you are not without hope.
There are at least these four federal decisions which offer you
considerable protection. In your opposition to such motions, you may do
well to cite these cases:
Picking v. Pennsylvania Railway , (151 F2d. 240) Third Circuit Court of
Appeals. In Picking , the plaintiffs civil rights was 150 pages and
described by a federal judge as "inept." Nevertheless, it was held:
Where a plaintiff pleads pro-se in a suit for protection of civil
rights, the court should endeavor to construe plaintiffs pleading
without regard to technicalities.
In Walter Process Equipment v. Food Machinery 382 U.S. 172 (1965) it was
held that in a "motion to dismiss, the material allegations of the
complaint are taken as admitied." From this vantage point, courts are
reluctant to dismiss complaints unless it appears the plaintiff can
prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to
relief (see Conlev vs. Gibson , 355 U.S. 41(1957).
In Puckett v. Cox , it was held that a pro-se complaint requires a less
stringent reading than one drafted by a lawyer (456 F2d 233 (1972 Sixth
Circuit USCA) said Justice Black in Conley v. Gibson . 355 U.S. 41 at
48(1957) "The Federal Rules rejects the approach that pleading is a game
of skill in which one misstep by counsel may be decisive to the outcome
and accept the principle that the purpose of pleading is to facilitate a
proper decision on the merits." According to rule 8(f) FRCP all
pleadings shall be construed to do substantial justice."
The Court also cited Rule 8(f) FRCP, which holds that all pleadings
shall be construed to do substantial justice.
It could also be argued that to dismiss a civil rights action or other
lawsuit in which a serious factual pattern or allegation of a cause of
action has been made would itself be violative of procedural due process
as it would deprive a pro-se litigant of equal protection of the law
visa vis a party who is represented by counsel.
In a fair system, victory should go to a party who has the better case,
not the better representation.
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