Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01320/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-01320-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 540
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Mandamus and Other
Cause of Action: 28:1361 Petition for Writ of Mandamus

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID GARLAND ATWOOD II,

Plaintiff,

CASE NO. 17cv1320-LAB (WVG)

ORDER DENYING WITHOUT

PREJUDICE MOTION FOR

PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

vs.

UNITED STATES PROBATION OFFICE,

SAN DIEGO,

Defendants.

Plaintiff David Atwood, proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed a petition asking

this Court to order the local federal probation office to accept supervision of him so that he

can seek medical care in this District.

After conducting the screening required by 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B), the Court noted

that, if the complaint is construed liberally, it could state a claim. (See Docket no. 11.) But

the United States was dismissed as a Defendant, leaving only the U.S. Probation Office in

San Diego as the sole Defendant. The Court then ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to

serve the Defendant as directed by Atwood on U.S. Marshal Form 285. (Id. at 3:1–4.) The

Court’s order cautioned Atwood that he was responsible for properly completing the form so

that it would comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(i)’s requirements. (Id. at 3:4–6.)

Proofs of service were filed, showing that the U.S. Probation office and Officer Paula

Burke were served (Docket nos. 17 and 18), and that Assistant U.S. Attorney Paula Dixon

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was also served. (Docket no. 19.) No proof of service on this District’s U.S. Attorney, or on 1

the U.S. Attorney General has been filed, as required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(i), and Defendant 2

has not appeared or waived service. 

Atwood has now filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking the Court to order

the local probation office to accept supervision of him — in essence, giving him the all the

relief he is asking for.

The Ninth Circuit has explained the standard for issuance of a preliminary injunction.

A party seeking a preliminary injunction must meet one of two variants of the

same standard. Under the original Winter standard, a party must show “that

he is likely to succeed on the merits, that he is likely to suffer irreparable

harm in the absence of preliminary relief, that the balance of equities tips in

his favor, and that an injunction is in the public interest.”• Winter v. Nat. Res.

Def. Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7, 20, 129 S.Ct. 365, 172 L.Ed.2d 249 (2008).

Under the “sliding scale” variant of the Winter standard, “if a plaintiff can only

show that there are ‘serious questions going to the merits' — a lesser

showing than likelihood of success on the merits — then a preliminary

injunction may still issue if the ‘balance of hardships tips sharply in the

plaintiff's favor,’ and the other two Winter factors are satisfied.” Shell

Offshore, Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc., 709 F.3d 1281, 1291 (9th Cir. 2013)

(quoting Alliance for the Wild Rockies v. Cottrell, 632 F.3d 1127, 1135 (9th

Cir. 2011)).

All. for the Wild Rockies v. Pena, 865 F.3d 1211, 1217 (9th Cir. 2017). Atwood has not

mentioned or addressed either standard in his motion.

Atwood has not yet properly served the Defendant, and has not shown why it would

be appropriate to grant relief without giving the Defendant a chance to oppose his request. 

See Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(a) and (b)(1). He has also not shown why either of the two standards

for issuance of a preliminary injunction is satisfied. For these reasons, his motion is DENIED

WITHOUT PREJUDICE.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 11, 2017

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

 Currently, this is Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson. 1

 This is U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 2

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