Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-01674/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-01674-7/pdf.json

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

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TERRENCE LLOYD HADDIX, JR., 

Plaintiff,

v.

C/O SEAN BURRIS; et al., 

Defendants.

___________________________________/

No. C-12-1674 EMC (pr)

ORDER DENYING THIRD REQUEST

FOR COUNSEL 

Plaintiff has filed a third motion for appointment of counsel. A district court has the

discretion under 28 U.S.C. §1915(e)(1) to designate counsel to represent an indigent civil litigant in

exceptional circumstances. See Wilborn v. Escalderon, 789 F.2d 1328, 1331 (9th Cir. 1986). This

requires an evaluation of both the likelihood of success on the merits and the ability of the plaintiff

to articulate his claims pro se in light of the complexity of the legal issues involved. See id. Neither

of these factors is dispositive and both must be viewed together before deciding on a request for

counsel under § 1915(e)(1). Here, exceptional circumstances requiring the appointment of counsel

are not evident at this time. Plaintiff has presented his case with sufficient skill to avoid summary

judgment, and the legal issues are not complex in this case. Plaintiff urges that his case is now in the

pretrial phase, but that is not correct: the case has been referred to the Court’s pro se prisoner

mediation program. The request for appointment of counsel is DENIED. (Docket # 66.)

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 25, 2015

_________________________

EDWARD M. CHEN

United States District Judge

Case 3:12-cv-01674-EMC Document 67 Filed 03/25/15 Page 1 of 1