Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00129/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00129-25/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PERRY WASHINGTON,

Plaintiff,

v.

VELOS,

Defendant.

Case No. 14-cv-00129-AWI-SAB

FIRST INFORMATIONAL ORDER IN 

PRISONER/CIVIL DETAINEE CIVIL RIGHTS 

CASE

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff is a prisoner/civil detainee proceeding pro se (without counsel)(hereinafter 

referred to as “pro se plaintiff”) in this civil rights action. This Order modifies requirements in 

Local Rules 130, 133(b)(2), and 135 for cases filed by pro se plaintiffs in the Fresno Division of 

the Eastern District of California and highlights specific rules unique to such actions. 

In litigating this action, the parties must comply with this Order, the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ. P.”), and the Local Rules of the United States District Court, Eastern 

District of California (“Local Rules”), as modified by this Order. Failure to so comply will be 

grounds for imposition of sanctions which may include dismissal of the case. Local Rule 110; 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b).

/ / /

/ / /

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 1 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

II. FILING DOCUMENTS WITH THE COURT

A. A pro se plaintiff who wishes to file documents with the Court must mail them to: 

Clerk of the Court

Room 1501

United States District Court 

2500 Tulare Street

Fresno, California 93721

Local Rule 133(d)(1). Any documents mailed to a judge's chambers, or to the Bakersfield or 

Yosemite courthouse may be stricken without notice. A document which is “stricken” will not 

be considered by the Court for any purpose.

B. A pro se plaintiff must submit all documents to the Court in paper unless the Court 

orders otherwise. The Court’s electronic filing and storage system generally is available only to 

attorneys registered to use it. Local Rule 133(b)(2). The Clerk will scan paper documents into 

the electronic court file and then discard the paper copy. Local Rule 138(d). Accordingly, 

parties should never send original exhibits to the Court.

C. A document requesting a court order must be styled as a motion. Letters to the 

Court or a judge may be stricken/returned. Fed. R. Civ. P. 7. 

D. Documents submitted to the Court may be typewritten or handwritten, but must be 

legible, double spaced, and contain print on only one side of each page. Local Rule 130 

(modified).

E. The first page of every document filed with the Court by the pro se plaintiff must 

include, in the upper left-hand corner, the pro se plaintiff’s name, address, and prisoner/detainee 

identification number. Local Rule 131.

F. The first page of every document filed with the Court must contain a caption 

showing the name(s) of the plaintiff and defendants(s), the name of the document being filed, the 

case number assigned to the action followed by the initials of the District Court Judge and the 

Magistrate Judge to whom the case is assigned, and the letters "PC." Local Rule 133. If a party 

has more than one case pending and wants to file the same document in more than one case, the 

party must provide a separate copy of that document, with the correct case number in the first 

page caption, for each case. Documents with more than one case number in the caption may be 

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 2 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

stricken/returned.

G. Each document submitted for filing must include the original signature of the 

filing party. Local Rule 131; Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). Documents submitted without the required 

signature may be stricken.

H. Each separate pleading, motion, or other document submitted for filing must be 

bound separately at the top-left corner. Local Rule 130(b). If two or more documents are bound 

together, the first will be filed, but the others may be stricken.

I. The Court does not need and will not file duplicates of documents. Local Rule 

133(d)(2) (modified). If a party wants a file-stamped copy of a document returned for the party’s 

own benefit, a copy for that purpose and a pre-addressed, pre-paid postage envelope must be 

included. The Court will not make copies of filed documents or provide postage or envelopes for 

free even for parties proceeding in forma pauperis.

J. The Court will not serve as a repository for evidence. The parties may not file 

evidence (prison, disciplinary or medical records, witness affidavits, etc.) with the Court until it 

becomes necessary to do so in connection with a motion for summary judgment, trial or the 

Court requests otherwise. Evidence improperly submitted to the Court may be stricken/returned. 

Similarly, a pro se plaintiff need not attach exhibits to his complaint to prove the truth of what is 

said in the complaint. For Court screening purposes, facts stated in complaints are accepted as 

true. 

III. SCREENING OF COMPLAINTS

A. The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief 

against a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 

1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint or portion thereof if the prisoner has raised claims 

that are legally "frivolous or malicious," that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be 

granted, or that seek monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 

U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1)(2). 

B. A pro se plaintiff may not proceed with legal action against a governmental entity 

or individual in this Court until the Court screens the pro se plaintiff’s complaint and finds that it 

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 3 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4

states a cognizable claim against named defendants. If the Court does find a cognizable claim 

and the plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis, the Court will direct the United States Marshal 

to initiate service of the complaint on defendants. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d). 

C. This Court screens pro se plaintiffs’ complaint as expeditiously as possible. 

However, the Court has an extremely large number of pro se plaintiff civil rights cases pending 

before it, and delay is inevitable. As long as a party keeps the Court informed of the party’s 

current address, the Court will provide notice of all actions which might affect the case as soon as 

an action is taken in the case. The Court will not respond in writing to individual inquiries 

regarding the status of a case.

D. A pro se plaintiff not proceeding in forma pauperis is responsible for timely 

completing service of process upon all defendants. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4; 28 U.S.C. § 1915(d). A 

failure to complete timely service may result in dismissal of the action as to a defendant not 

properly served. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m).

IV. SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS

Once an attorney for a defendant appears in a pro se plaintiff's civil rights action (by filing 

an answer, a motion to dismiss, a motion for summary judgment, etc.), that attorney's office will 

receive notice of all filings through the Court's electronic filing system (ECM/ECF). A pro se 

plaintiff need not serve documents on counsel for a defendant; the date of the electronic Notice 

from ECM/ECF is the date of service. Local Rule 135(a). However, for purposes of application 

of the "Mailbox Rule," see Douglas v. Noelle, 567 F.3d 1103, 1107 (9th Cir. 2009), on all 

documents filed with the Court, the pro se plaintiff must attach a Proof of Service, indicating the 

date on which the filing was turned over to prison authorities. A document submitted without 

proof of service may be stricken/returned or if filed after the deadline, deemed not timely filed. A 

sample Proof of Service form is attached to this Order.

V. DISCOVERY

A. After defendants’ answers are filed, the Court will issue an order opening 

discovery and setting deadlines for completing discovery, amending the pleadings, and filing 

dispositive motions. No discovery may be initiated until the Court issues a discovery order or 

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 4 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

5

otherwise orders that discovery begin.

B. Once the Court allows discovery to begin, the parties may initiate it, as provided in 

both the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rules, without additional approval from the 

Court. 

C. Discovery requests must be served directly on the attorney for the party from 

whom discovery is sought.

D. Except in the case of a discovery dispute (discussed below), parties are not to file 

copies of their discovery requests with the Court. Local Rules 250.1, 250.2, 250.3, 250.4. 

Discovery documents inappropriately submitted to the Court may be stricken. 

E. If a response to discovery is found to be unsatisfactory, the party seeking 

discovery may file a motion to compel a further response and in that case must include a copy of 

the discovery propounded and the response to it. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37. A motion to compel must be 

accompanied by "a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to 

confer with the party not making the disclosure in an effort to secure the disclosure without court 

action." Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(1). A moving party should not seek to compel production of 

documents which are equally available to that moving party, such as documents in plaintiff's 

central file. A discovery motion that does not comply with applicable rules may be stricken and 

may result in imposition of sanctions.

VI. HEARINGS

All pre-trial motions will be submitted for decision based solely upon the written papers 

and without a hearing. Local Rule 230(l). Local Rule 230(l) sets out the schedule for briefing 

motions.

VII. DEADLINES

Absent good cause, all Court deadlines are strictly enforced. Requests for time extensions 

must be filed before the deadline expires and must state good reason for the request. Local Rule 

144.

VIII. CURRENT ADDRESS REQUIRED

A. A pro se plaintiff must keep the Court and opposing parties informed of the party’s 

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 5 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

6

correct current address. Local Rule 182(f). If a party moves to a different address without filing 

and serving a notice of change of address, documents served at a party’s old address of record 

shall be deemed received even if not actually received. Id.

B. If mail directed to a pro se plaintiff at the address of record is returned by the 

United States Postal Service as undeliverable, the order will not be re-served a second time absent 

a notice of change of address. If a pro se plaintiff’s address is not updated within sixty-three (63) 

days of mail being returned as undeliverable, the case will be dismissed for failure to prosecute. 

Local Rule 183(b).

C. A Notice of Change of Address form is attached to this Order. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 10, 2015 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:14-cv-00129-SAB Document 70 Filed 06/10/15 Page 6 of 6