No cash, no lawsuit, court tells prisoner

CARSON CITY, Mich. (AP) - Frivolous lawsuits have caught up with a Michigan prisoner.

Michael Gresham wants to sue Corrections Department employees, claiming they improperly forced him to take antipsychotic medication. But a federal appeals court says he needs to pay a $400 filing fee.

Prisoners and other poor people can ask that the fee be waived, but the court says Gresham doesn't qualify because he has "at least eight baseless lawsuits to his name." There's an exception for serious health issues. But the court again says the exception doesn't fit.

Judge Jeffrey Sutton says Gresham's chest pains, vomiting, seizures and dizziness are "not the kinds of injuries that can lead to impending death or other severe bodily harms" while he's also under medical supervision.

Gresham has been locked up for nearly 20 years.

Published: Wed, Sep 25, 2019