Phillips

Phillips v. Ayers

Good Law
316 F. App'x 605
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitMarch 4, 2009No. 07-55929California349 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Tommy Phillips appeals pro se from the district court’s order denying his application to proceed informa pauperis in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging that prison officials violated his civil rights by preventing him from practicing his religion, using excessive force against him, keeping him illegally in administrative segregation, and causing him to lose his prison job. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review for abuse of discretion the denial of leave to file a complaint in forma pauperis, Tripati v. First Nat’l Bank & Trust, 821 F.2d 1368, 1369 (9th Cir.1987), and we review de novo the determination that a complaint lacks arguable substance in law or fact, id. We vacate and remand.

The district court abused its discretion in denying Phillips leave to file his complaint in forma pauperis on the basis that Phillips alleged only supervisor liability as to four of the defendants. See Hooker v. Am. Airlines, 302 F.3d 1091, 1092 (9th Cir.2002) (order) (holding that if at least one claim is non-frivolous, leave to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal must be granted for the case as a whole). Phillips explicitly alleged individual liability for his…

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