1 
 
 
DISTRICT COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
DIVISION OF ST. CROIX 
 
RICHARD MATTHEWS,  
 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
Plaintiff, 
 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
v. 
 
 
 
 
)  
Civil Action No. 2024-0005  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
)  
 
LAW ENFROCEMENT SUPERVISOR’S 
) 
UNION, GOVERNMENT OF THE  
 
) 
VIRGIN ISLANDS, RAY MARTINEZ,   
) 
AND UNKNOWN CO-CONSPIRATORS.1 
)  
 
__________________________________________) 
 
APPEARANCES: 
Richard Matthews 
 
Pro Se 
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER  
 
Lewis, District Judge 
 
THIS MATTER comes before the Court on Plaintiff’s “Motion for Interim Injunction” 
(Dkt. No. 1), in which Plaintiff seeks immediate relief in the form of a subpoena(s) for all of 
Plaintiff’s medical records and an interim injunction stopping “any use of fraudulent misdiagnoses 
and misinformation in Plaintiff[‘s] medical records.” (Dkt. No. 1 at 4-5). While Plaintiff seeks 
immediate interim relief, Plaintiff’s Motion acknowledges that he has not filed a complaint. Id. at 
1).2 
 
1 Plaintiff has not filed his Complaint. Accordingly, the case caption does not designate as 
Defendants the entities and individuals who Plaintiff’s “Motion for Interim Injunction” listed as 
Defendants.  
 
2 In a separate action, Plaintiff has filed a “Notice for Removal” of a “connected” appeal from a 
Virgin Islands Superior Court, Family Division matter. (Civ. Act. No. 24-0007, Dkt. No. 1).   
While Plaintiff asserts that the matters are “connected,” id. at 1, from the face of the instant Motion 
it appears that Plaintiff contemplates the instant action to be based on a separate, but unfiled 
complaint.  (Dkt. No. 1 at 1, 4). 
Case: 1:24-cv-00005-RAM-EAH     Document #: 3     Filed: 05/03/24     Page 1 of 2
2 
 
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 3, “the first step in an action is the filing of the 
complaint.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 3. “The requirement that all plaintiffs must file a complaint is a 
fundamental rule in our legal system. Without a complaint, the Court cannot ascertain the basis for 
jurisdiction.” Kaufman v. Werlich, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16939, at *2 (S.D. Ill. Jan. 31, 2020) 
(explaining that “the Court will not engage in a guessing game.”). A complaint is a necessary first 
step “even where a plaintiff seeks equitable relief such as through a motion for a preliminary 
injunction or TRO.” Goldwire v. Mohr, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 175299, at *4 (S.D. Ohio Oct. 23, 
2017) (“[E]very lawsuit must be initiated by the filing of a complaint.”); Wilhelm v. Aung, 2023 
U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106321, at *6 (E.D. Cal. June 16, 2023) (“The court will not issue any orders 
granting or denying injunctive relief until an action has been properly commenced.”).  
Accordingly, the Court must deny Plaintiff’s Motion in the absence of a complaint. In view 
of the foregoing, it is hereby  
ORDERED that Plaintiff’s “Motion for Interim Injunction” (Dkt. No. 1) is DENIED.  
SO ORDERED 
Date: May 3, 2024  
 
 
 
 
 
_______/s/_______ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WILMA A. LEWIS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District Judge 
 
 
Case: 1:24-cv-00005-RAM-EAH     Document #: 3     Filed: 05/03/24     Page 2 of 2