Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00939/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00939-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 560
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Civil Detainee - Conditions of Confinement
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JASON TAYLOR, et al.,

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

NORM KRAMER, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:14-cv-00939-GSA-PC

ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR CLASS

ACTION CERTIFICATION

(Doc. 1.)

Plaintiffs, Jason Taylor, John S. Garibay, Everett Kite, Oscar Marshall, Alfonson 

Mouzon, Khanh Nguyen, Jaffar Oliver, Carlos Paniagua, Billy Ray Redding, Edward Ronje, 

Jorge L. Rubio, Dennis Sharkey, Manuel Stell, Frank Sumahit, Andrew Warren, and Anthony 

Weathington (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), are civil detainees proceeding pro se with this civil 

rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiffs filed the Complaint commencing this 

action on June 18, 2014. (Doc. 1.) 

Plaintiffs have requested certification of this litigation as a class action. 

The Plaintiffs in this action are all non-lawyers proceeding without counsel. It is well 

established that a layperson cannot ordinarily represent the interests of a class. See McShane v. 

United States, 366 F.2d 286 (9th Cir. 1966). This rule becomes almost absolute when, as here, 

the putative class representative is a civil detainee proceeding pro se. See Oxendine v. 

Williams, 509 F.2d 1405, 1407 (4th Cir. 1975). In direct terms, none of the Plaintiffs can 

Case 1:14-cv-00939-AWI-GSA Document 22 Filed 07/17/14 Page 1 of 2
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Afairly and adequately protect the interests of the class@ as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(4). 

See Martin v. Middendorf, 420 F. Supp. 779 (D.D.C. 1976). A plaintiff’s privilege to appear in 

propria persona is a Aprivilege ... personal to him. He has no authority to appear as an attorney 

for others than himself.@ McShane v. U.S., 366 F.2d 286, 288 (9th Cir. 1966), citing Russell v. 

United States, 308 F.2d 78, 79 (9th Cir. 1962); Collins v. O'Brien, 93 U.S.App.D.C. 152, 208 

F.2d 44, 45 (1953), cert. denied, 347 U.S. 944, 74 S.Ct. 640, 98 L.Ed. 1092 (1954). This 

action, therefore, will not be construed as a class action and instead will be construed as an 

individual civil suit brought by Plaintiffs.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ request for class action 

certification is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 17, 2014 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:14-cv-00939-AWI-GSA Document 22 Filed 07/17/14 Page 2 of 2