Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00613/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00613-0/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN KELLER,

Plaintiff,

v.

N. K. S. P. ,

Defendant.

1:16-cv-00613-EPG (PC) 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL 

(Document# 3)

On May 2, 2016, Plaintiff filed a motion seeking the appointment of counsel. Plaintiff 

does not have a constitutional right to appointed counsel in this action, Rand v. Rowland, 113 

F.3d 1520, 1525 (9th Cir. 1997), and the Court cannot require an attorney to represent Plaintiff 

pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 1915(e)(1). Mallard v. United States District Court for the Southern 

District of Iowa, 490 U.S. 296, 298, 109 S.Ct. 1814, 1816 (1989). However, in certain 

exceptional circumstances the Court may request the voluntary assistance of counsel pursuant to 

section 1915(e)(1). Rand, 113 F.3d at 1525. 

Without a reasonable method of securing and compensating counsel, the Court will seek 

volunteer counsel only in the most serious and exceptional cases. In determining whether 

Aexceptional circumstances exist, the district Court must evaluate both the likelihood of success 

of the merits [and] the ability of the [plaintiff] to articulate his claims pro se in light of the 

complexity of the legal issues involved.@ Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).

Case 1:16-cv-00613-AWI-EPG Document 6 Filed 05/05/16 Page 1 of 2
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Plaintiff states that he has an Eighth Grade education, suffers from mental illness, and 

lacks skills in the law. This alone does not make Plaintiff’s case exceptional. At this early stage 

in the proceedings, the Court cannot make a determination that Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the 

merits. Plaintiff filed the Complaint on May 2, 2016, less than a week ago, and the Complaint 

awaits the Court=s screening required under 28 U.S.C. 1915. Thus, to date the Court has not 

found any cognizable claims in Plaintiff=s Complaint for which to initiate service of process, and 

no other parties have yet appeared. Therefore, Plaintiff=s motion shall be denied without 

prejudice to renewal of the motion at a later stage of the proceedings. 

For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff=s motion for the appointment of counsel is HEREBY 

DENIED, without prejudice.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 5, 2016 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:16-cv-00613-AWI-EPG Document 6 Filed 05/05/16 Page 2 of 2