Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02163/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-02163-14/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

VANCE BLAINE, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE 

FACILITY, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:13-cv-2163 KJM AC P 

ORDER 

Plaintiff, a visually impaired state prisoner incarcerated at the California Health Care 

Facility (CHCF), proceeds pro se and in forma pauperis with this civil rights action filed pursuant 

to 42 U.S.C. 1983. This action proceeds on plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint filed April 24, 

2014. See ECF No. 13. 

By order filed September 8, 2016, in response to plaintiff’s request for accommodations, 

see ECF No. 55, this court requested that the Office of the California Attorney General contact 

CHCF to identify the accommodations accorded plaintiff in pursuing this action. See ECF No. 

57. The court acknowledges the helpful efforts of Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Matthew 

Ross Wilson in investigating this matter and filing a response by special appearance, together 

with a declaration submitted by T. Weinholdt, CHCF’s Americans with Disabilities Act 

Coordinator. See ECF No. 60. 

Case 2:13-cv-02163-KJM-AC Document 61 Filed 10/12/16 Page 1 of 3
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The response indicates that plaintiff has access to all accommodations available at CHCF, 

including a Merlin Elite HD Magnifier Enhanced Vision machine in the prison library, that 

optimizes and enlarges text, and audibly reads text that plaintiff may listen to with headphones; 

that neither CHCF nor the California Medical Facility, plaintiff’s prior place of incarceration, 

have access to a machine capable of taking notes and dictation; that plaintiff has access to law 

librarians who can read documents and write for him, and assist with legal research; that plaintiff 

also has access to personal assistants working with the Inmate Disability Assistance Program, in 

both the law library and housing units, who can access plaintiff’s legal documents with his 

consent and the approval of custody staff, and read and write for plaintiff; and that plaintiff may 

call on the assistance of other inmates. See ECF No. 60. 

For these several reasons, the court finds that plaintiff presently has adequate 

accommodations to pursue the instant action. Plaintiff’s request for additional accommodations, 

ECF No. 55, is therefore denied. 

 At this juncture, two of the three defendants in this action have been served process. See 

ECF Nos. 36, 39 (defendant Sabin waived service and filed an answer); ECF No. 59 (defendant 

Crosson waived service). Service of process remains outstanding for defendant Ditomas. See 

ECF No. 53. Discovery is stayed and there are no existing deadlines. See ECF No. 46. After 

defendant Ditomas has been served process, and both he and defendant Crosson have answered 

the complaint, the court will issue a new Discovery and Scheduling Order. Plaintiff is advised 

that, pending further scheduling in this action, he should organize his legal documents and 

prepare his potential discovery requests for each defendant.1 

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1

 Plaintiff’s discovery requests may include the following: (1) requests for admission (yes-or-no 

statements of fact) directed to each defendant, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 36; (2) up to twenty-five 

interrogatories (questions) directed to each defendant, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 33; and (3) requests for 

copies of documents, electronically stored information, or other tangible evidence directed to 

each defendant, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 34. 

Case 2:13-cv-02163-KJM-AC Document 61 Filed 10/12/16 Page 2 of 3
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For the foregoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s request for 

additional accommodations, ECF No. 55, is denied. 

DATED: October 11, 2016 

Case 2:13-cv-02163-KJM-AC Document 61 Filed 10/12/16 Page 3 of 3