What is the standard of pleading in a motion brought by an unrepresented plaintiff?

Since appellants are unrepresented before this court and were unrepresented in the district court, their pleadings are held to a less stringent standard than pleadings crafted by attorneys. Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520, 92 S.Ct. 594, 596, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972) (per curiam). After reviewing the allegations in the complaint, we cannot say with assurance that appellants could prove no set of facts giving them a right to relief. Id. at 520-21, 92 S.Ct. at 596 (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957)). The allegations in the complaint establish a colorable claim under section 1983: the Stokes alleged that they suffered damages when their constitutional rights were violated by municipal officials acting under color of state law.