Free Civil Rights Complaint & Instructions - Alabama

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT FORM READ CAREFULLY Your complaint must be legibly handwritten or typewritten on this form. If your complaint is handwritten, please use black ink. You must sign and swear to the complaint before a Notary Public or other official authorized to administer oaths, or you must execute a declaration under penalty of perjury that the facts alleged in it are true and correct. Whether you swear to the complaint or declare it, under penalty of perjury, to be correct, any false statement or any material fact may serve as the basis for prosecution and conviction. Therefore, you should exercise care to ensure that all answers are true and correct. Your complaint may be brought in this Court only if one or more of the named defendants are located in the geographical area covered by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The Middle District of Alabama contains the following counties: Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Coffee, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Randolph, Russell, and Tallapoosa. A plaintiff must file a separate complaint for ea ch claim unless the claims are related to the same incident or issue. No authorities or citations should be set out in the complaint . If briefs or arguments are submitted, they should be submitted in a separate memorandum for which no form is necessary. You must include in the complaint all grounds for relief and all facts supporting such grounds for relief, including any request for a jury trial. It is permissible to include no more than two (2) additional pages if more space is needed to answer a question. Any documents in support of your claim set out herein should be attached. The Judicial Conference of the United States has adopted, effective January 1, 1983, the 8-½ x 11 inch paper size standard for use throughout the federal judiciary and has directed the elimination of the use of legal size (8 ½ x 14 inches) paper. All pleadings and other papers in cases filed after December 31, 1982, must b e on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper. Otherwise, this office cannot accept them for filing. In order for this complaint to be filed, it must be accompanied by the filing fee of $350.00. In addition, you will be required to pay the cost of serving the complaint on each of the defendants. If you are unable to pay the filing fee and service costs for this action, you may petition the court for leave to proceed in forma pauperis. A blank motion and affidavit for this purpose will be supplied and it should be filed with your complaint. It must be notarized by a Notary Public or other official authorized to administer oaths or must contain your statement that it is true and correct. If more than one plaintiff is named on the complaint, a separate affidavit will be required for each.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA _______________________ DIVISION

_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Plaintiff(s),

v. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Defendant(s).

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

CIVIL ACTION NO. JURY DEMAND (MARK ONE) G NO G YES

COMPLAINT 1. Plaintiff(s)' address and telephone number:_____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Name and address of defendant(s):____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. Place of alleged violation of civil rights:_______________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. 5. Date of alleged violation of civil rights:________________________________________

State the facts on which you base your allegation that your constitutional rights have been violated:________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1

6. Relief requested:__________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Date:__________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________ Plaintiff(s) Signature

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