Local Rule LR 5.3: Pro Se Actions
W.D. Ky. — Civil rule
LR 5.3 Pro Se Actions
(a) Generally. The following papers should be written on court-supplied forms, signed and verified:
(1) Pro se writ of habeas corpus filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2254; and
(2) Pro se motions attacking a conviction or sentence filed under 28 U.S.C. § 2255.
(3) Pro se civil rights complaints filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; and
(4) Pro se civil rights complaints filed under the authority of Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971).
(b) Papers Not on Court-Supplied Forms. If a pro se litigant submits a paper identified in (a) above that is not on a court-supplied form, the Clerk will accept the paper for filing and forward it to an appropriate judicial officer for review. If directed by the appropriate judicial officer, the Clerk shall provide sufficient copies of the prescribed form, and instructions for preparing the form, to the pro se litigant along with directions to file the petition on the appropriate court-supplied form within thirty (30) days thereafter. When required to do so, a pro se litigant's failure to file his or her petition on a court-supplied form within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the litigant's case or other appropriate sanctions.
(c) Filing. Pleadings, written motions, and other papers in pro se cases must be addressed to the Clerk. A pleading, motion, or other paper addressed to an individual judge will be directed to the Clerk for assignment.
(d) Disclosure of Contact Information; Sanctions. All pro se non-prisoner litigants must include, if available, in the caption of the litigant's first filing, the litigant's current telephone number, e-mail address, residential address, and, if different, mailing address. All pro se prisoner litigants must include in every pleading, written motion, and other paper the prisoner's inmate number and current mailing address. Failure to provide the required information upon request may result in the dismissal of the litigant's case or other appropriate sanctions.
(e) Notification of Change in Address; Sanctions. All pro se litigants must provide written notice of a change of residential address, and, if different, mailing address, to the Clerk and to the opposing party or the opposing party's counsel. Failure to notify the Clerk of an address change may result in the dismissal of the litigant's case or other appropriate sanctions.