Newark, NJ – A federal judge has halted a lawsuit brought by an Essex County Jail detainee until the prisoner either pays court fees or properly applies to proceed without them.

Complaint filed without payment

Plaintiff Daniel Bryan Madsen, who is currently incarcerated at Essex County Jail, filed a civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. §1983 alleging violations tied to his detention. Court records show Madsen did not pay the mandatory $405 filing fee when submitting his complaint.

Under federal law, indigent prisoners may request to proceed in forma pauperis, which lowers the required payment to $350 and allows installment payments from their inmate trust accounts. However, to qualify, inmates must file an affidavit of assets and a certified six-month account statement from their corr

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