Ninth Circuit rules magistrate judges cannot dismiss IFP complaints without serving defendants

Client(s) Williams, Michael B.

The Ninth Circuit held it was unlawful for magistrate judges to dismiss in forma pauperis claims without ever serving defendants, even though this practice has gone unchecked for decades. The issue is now the subject of a circuit split and has generated heated debate among judges.

Williams v. King, 875 F.3d 500 (9th Cir. 2017)