Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_24-cv-00847/USCOURTS-caed-1_24-cv-00847-2/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

BRIAN DION LEWIS,

Plaintiff,

v.

M.D. ISMAIL PATEL,

Defendant.

No. 1:24-cv-00847 GSA (PC)

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION 

REQUESTING PRISON’S RETURN OF 

MISAPPROPRIATED FILING FEES

(ECF No. 12)

Plaintiff, a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, has filed this civil 

rights action seeking relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The matter was referred to a United States 

Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 302.

Before this Court is Plaintiff’s motion which requests that filing fees that prison officials 

have allegedly misappropriated be returned to him. See generally ECF No 12. For the reasons 

stated below, the Court will deny Plaintiff’s motion.

In Plaintiff’s filing fee motion, he appears to allege that improper amounts are being taken 

from his prison trust fund account by prison officials at Kern Valley State Prison in order to pay 

the filing fee in this case. See generally ECF No. 12. Although the motion is somewhat difficult 

to read, Plaintiff appears to be requesting the Court to order that prison officials stop removing 

improper amounts from his trust account and that the improperly taken funds be returned to him. 

See id.

Case 1:24-cv-00847-GSA Document 13 Filed 01/02/25 Page 1 of 2
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“[A] negligent or intentional deprivation of a prisoner’s property fails to state a claim 

under [S]ection 1983 if the state has an adequate post-deprivation remedy.” Barnett v. Centoni, 

31 F.3d 813, 816-17 (9th Cir. 1994) (brackets added) (citing Hudson v. Palmer, 468 U.S. 517, 53 

(1984)). California law provides adequate post-deprivation remedies for property deprivation. 

See generally Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 810-895. Therefore, Plaintiff’s allegation of improper fund 

deduction is not an actionable claim under Section 1983. For this reason, the motion will be 

denied.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

Plaintiff’s motion requesting that the prison officials at Kern Valley State Prison be 

ordered to stop misappropriating funds from his trust account and to return improperly taken 

funds to him (see ECF No. 12) is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 2, 2025 /s/ Gary S. Austin 

 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:24-cv-00847-GSA Document 13 Filed 01/02/25 Page 2 of 2